5 predictions to bank on for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020

Winning record vs. NFC South

For as poorly as Dan Quinn has performed against AFC teams in his five years as the Falcons head coach, he usually puts his team in position to win crucial rivalry games in the division. Atlanta has too much talent to be any worse than 2-4 in divisional play. Anything beneath that mark means Quinn is gone. While 3-3 seems like a fair number, Atlanta is going 4-2 in divisional play this fall.

If there is one game Atlanta will win at home this season, it will be vs. the rebuilding Carolina Panthers. Should they sweep a team, it’s likely to be Carolina as well. Conversely, if there is one game Atlanta will drop on the road this year, it will be vs. the New Orleans Saints. If Atlanta does get swept by a division rival, it’s more likely to be by the archival Saints than anyone else.

As for the two games vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it could go either way. Though they have Tom Brady, Tampa Bay doesn’t have a home-field advantage, so the Dirty Birds could go into Raymond James Stadium and get a victory. However, the Buccaneers have shown in recent years a proclivity for steal a road game vs. the Falcons in Atlanta. It feels like this two rivals split again.

So in terms of the likeliest outcome for how things will shake out for the Falcons in divisional play, look for them to beat all three of their rivals at home and sweep the Panthers in back-to-back seasons. With this being one of the most competitive divisions in football, nobody will come out of it unscathed, but it is more likely than not Atlanta will have a winning record in NFC South play.