Can Falcons save their season over winnable three-game stretch?

At 3-6, the Atlanta Falcons’ chances of making the playoffs sit at roughly 2%, but if there’s any hope of salvaging a nightmarish first half of the season, it has to begin with a very manageable three-week stretch ahead.

It starts this Sunday with a divisional matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Of course, the Panthers aren’t a team the Falcons can take lightly. Atlanta learned that the hard way in a 30-point loss earlier in the season. Carolina features a stout defense, an elite running game, and a strong special teams unit, all areas where the Falcons have struggled mightily.

Atlanta’s offense is averaging just 18.7 points per game — 27th in the league — as questions continue to swirl around Zac Robinson and Michael Penix Jr. The run defense has fallen apart since Divine Deablo fractured his forearm, most recently allowing Jonathan Taylor to go for 244 yards and three touchdowns. And the special teams unit has been nothing short of a disaster, especially on kick returns.

The Falcons will have to play their best football to beat the Panthers, but it’s more than doable. After that, a pair of matchups against bottom-tier teams follows: the Saints in Week 12 and the Jets in Week 13.

Again, nothing should be taken for granted with a Falcons team that has won just three games in the first 10 weeks. Rivalry games are always unpredictable, and the Jets matchup will take place on the road in freezing New York weather. Still, if the Falcons can’t win those games, nobody should be mentioning “playoffs” and “Falcons” in the same sentence until next season.

There’s no question Atlanta is a better team than its record indicates. They’ve gone toe-to-toe on the road with the Patriots and Colts — the teams with the best records in football. With even competent kicking, the entire conversation surrounding this team would look different. But ultimately, only wins and losses matter. The Falcons are 3-6, and if they can’t string together three straight wins, they can count on their postseason drought extending to eight years.

—

Photo: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire

The post Can Falcons save their season over winnable three-game stretch? appeared first on SportsTalkATL.com.