Atlanta Falcons 2020 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

The easiest way for the Falcons to have a winning record in NFC South play is to sweep the Carolina Panthers. With Carolina in the early stages of a rebuild, the Falcons should have no issues putting away Matt Rhule’s team when the Panthers make the trek southbound down I-85. However, winning in the Queen City is never an easy task for the Dirty Birds.

Will Carolina be better than they were a season ago? It’s debatable, as the first year of Rhule’s rebuilds in college haven’t translated into wins for his team. In short, the Falcons need to kick the Panthers while they are down to get a few victories on the schedule to get back into playoff positioning. Beating Carolina at home is a guarantee, but the Falcons have to win in Charlotte.

Though the Panthers may not have the talent to win games in divisional play, they have a former first-round quarterback running the show in Teddy Bridgewater. Billed as a lesser version of Matt Ryan coming out of Louisville in 2014, Atlanta can’t overlook one of the most accurate passers in the league. Bridgewater will win the Panthers a few more games than they are expected to.

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Overall, a 4-2 record in the division should help the Falcons get over .500 and push for the playoffs. Of course, they’ll have to post a winning record at home, probably a 6-2 mark to get in. If Atlanta wants to be respectable on the road and go 4-4 away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, then the Falcons need to find a way to beat their rival in Charlotte at all costs.