On the brink of making the NFC Playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17 is a must-win.
The Atlanta Falcons went into New Orleans last weekend, hoping to earn the season-sweep of the Saints, while also clinching a spot in the NFC Playoffs. Needless to say, an extremely unimpressive showing from the Falcons offense derailed any chances of an anti-climactic battle with the Carolina Panthers in Week 17.
With their most-important game of the 2017 season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this weekend, Atlanta must find a way to come through for their city and wounded fanbase.
The Panthers and Falcons met up back in early-November, with Carolina earning a close victory, 20-17. It was a battle that Atlanta controlled for most of the first-half, but two rushing touchdowns in the final two minutes of the second quarter dropped the Dirty Birds from a 10-0 lead, to being down 14-10 at the half. Unfortunately, for Dan Quinn’s squad, they never recovered from that two-minute disaster.
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Not only did that loss sting in terms of the NFC South race, but it was another stain on a series of sloppy games for the Falcons in 2017. It’s one thing to lose, but it’s another to completely self-destruct.
Fast forward eight weeks later, and Atlanta has won five of their seven games, with their only losses being to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 16. Respectable losses, but ones that the Falcons could not afford heading into late-December.
Now the Dirty Birds face a must-win scenario with those same Panthers coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 17. Feel free to place your trust in the Arizona Cardinals to beat the Seattle Seahawks, but I think we all know CenturyLink Field will be rocking on Sunday afternoon.
Not to mention, the Panthers aren’t going to be resting any of their starters because, technically, they could still win the NFC South and host a playoff game at home in January. If you’re expecting anything but high-intensity from Carolina on Sunday, then you must change your expectations now.
With that said, the Falcons have a great opportunity in Week 17 to show the football world that this team will not back down when faced with adversity. Unfortunately, their collapse in Super Bowl LI only added to everyone’s perception that the Dirty Birds are soft.
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If they fail to make the postseason after being 9-5, only needing one win to clinch a playoff-berth, they will have once-again let their fanbase down and rode off into the sunset as a team who never reached their full potential. For a team that was mostly regarded as having the most talent in the NFL this season, completely missing the playoffs would be a heart-breaker for the city of Atlanta.
So don’t be fooled Falcons fans, this Week 17 matchup against Carolina means everything. The difference between a 10-6 season, or missing the postseason with a 9-7 record is a huge one, especially after last year’s Super Bowl. It’s a tough truth to wrestle with, but if the Atlanta can’t get right for this weekend, above all weekends, then they never deserved to defend their conference championship in the first place.