In a divisional race that could go down to the wire, the Atlanta Falcons need to take advantage of everything that could go their way to finally dethrone the Tampa Bay Buccaneers atop the NFC South. While Atlanta completed the series sweep of their rival last season, the Dirty Birds only went 8-9 and failed to win the division. Tampa Bay has won it the last four years and made the playoffs the last five.
For the time being, the NFC South may only be a one-playoff team division, but that could be changing. I would say Atlanta and Tampa Bay are the two most likely to make it out of the NFC South, but Carolina will keep it interesting. New Orleans is expected to rebuild this fall. So why do the Falcons need to take what is rightfully theirs and rip the division away from Tampa? It has to do with an injury.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported that "The Bucs will star the season without All Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who underwent surgery on his right knee Tuesday and will likely miss at least the first couple of games of the regular season." Tampa Bay will play at Atlanta to start the season in Week 1. While Tampa Bay has a great offensive line, losing Wirfs could be a crushing blow for them.
Keep in mind the Buccaneers will be breaking in another new offensive coordinator in Josh Grizzard.
The Bucs will start the season without All Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who underwent surgery on his right knee Tuesday and will likely miss at least the first couple games of the regular season. Wirfs aggravated a right knee injury in the offseaon that forced him to miss only…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) July 9, 2025
Atlanta needs to get a pass rush first, but the Falcons have a window of opportunity to be had here.
How Atlanta Falcons can take advantage of the Tristan Wirfs knee injury
In the event Wirfs were to go on the PUP list, he would miss the first four games of the season. Those games would be at Atlanta, at the Houston Texans, home vs. the New York Jets and then home vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia won the Super Bowl, while Houston won the AFC South. As for Atlanta and New York, these teams have the upward trajectory of making the playoffs this season.
No, the Buccaneers are not going 0-4 during that hypothetical stretch. They are simply too talented to do so. That being said, it would behoove the Falcons to take advantage of this huge break in the early part of their schedule. Atlanta opens with Tampa Bay at home before they have to face the Minnesota Vikings on the road, the Carolina Panthers and the road and then Washington at home.
Atlanta really needs to win at least two of those games to have a good shot at making the playoff. Their two division games are the easiest by far. Minnesota could be winnable. I have a hard time seeing them beating Washington right now, but they nearly got them in Maryland a season ago... Since the division was decided by one game, maybe that is all the Falcons need to win the South?
Wirfs could be out for an extended amount of time, but he is certain to miss Week 1 at the Falcons.