5 predictions to bank on for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020
By John Buhler
Hold serve in AFC West play
What has killed the Falcons the last three years is their horrendous play against the AFC. Since reaching the Super Bowl back in 2016, Atlanta hasn’t even gone .500 in their four annual games agains the AFC. Last season saw the Dirty Birds go 1-3 vs. the AFC South with their only win being late in the year at home vs. the lackluster Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s a trend that needs to stop.
For whatever reason, every election year when the Falcons faces the AFC West, good things have happened for them. They won the NFC South in 2004, 2012 and 2016 when playing the AFC West. Atlanta also made the NFC playoffs as a Wild Card team during Matt Ryan‘s rookie season back in 2008. Though Atlanta will not sweep the AFC West this year, 2-2 feels likely at the very least.
The last time the Falcons played this division out of the AFC, they won their two road games vs. the Denver Broncos and the then-Oakland Raiders, but dropped their two home games vs. the Kansas City Chiefs and the then-San Diego Chargers. Home games become road games this year and vice versa, so winning on the road at Arrowhead absolutely will not happen. That is a loss.
As for the other three games, Atlanta should beat the Broncos and the Raiders at home. The Falcons might be able to steal a game vs. the Chargers on the road. Traveling across the country will be tough, but it’s not like the Falcons will be entering the same hostile environment they will when they take on the Chiefs at Arrowhead. 2-2 is likely, but 3-1 is possible out of the AFC.