18. Atlanta Falcons
Last week: 24th
I want to believe in this Falcons team. I really do.
The Falcons just pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week, beating the San Francisco 49ers and doing so convincingly. They got after Brock Purdy to the tune ot two interceptions and a pair of sacks, and nobody’s been able to impact him that way so far this season.
Shout out to Jeff Ulbrich, who is going to be getting his best pass rusher (James Pearce Jr.) back in the fold in just two weeks.
We’ve seen the Falcons run all over teams before. We’ve seen them put up big numbers offensively. We know what this team is capable of on that side of the ball, but their consistency is maddening at this stage. But this win against the 49ers?
It was about as satisfying as it gets. The Falcons were down 14-3 early on, and they came storming back to take a big lead in the second half. And the defense sealed the deal. This team could get hot at just the right time.
17. New York Giants
Last week: 22nd
John Harbaugh is having a tremendous effect on the New York Giants.
Cam Skattebo responded to his benching by running for 124 yards (over 7 yards per carry) against the Houston Texans. The Giants’ running game supported JJ McCarthy with their best overall output of the season so far.
McCarthy himself hung in there and played really well against a defense with one of the best reputations in the league. Both Malik Nabers and Malachi Fields had huge games.
The Giants have proven to be rather resilient despite the shock and dejection after losing Jaxson Dart in the early portion of the second game of the season.
Not that the players aren’t out there executing, but it’s clear that Harbaugh’s presence as the head coach is having a huge effect here.
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