Two weeks into the season, the Atlanta Falcons looked like a nightmare in the making.
They were 0-2, and their top-two quarterbacks were injured, and it had the potential to get worse.
They were lined up for three consecutive primetime games, the first two on the road.
The Falcons played in Green Bay at the Packers in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football.
They then played the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome in Week 4 on Monday Night Football.
And then they had Sunday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5.
But then something funny happened: The Falcons started winning.
Coupled with the return of QB Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons rattled off two wins in a row. They won by 20-plus points in Weeks 3 and 4.
Sunday night in Week 5 at home against the Ravens was closer, but it seemed for most of the game like the Falcons would win.
But then they gave up the lead at the end of regulation, and they lost in overtime.
The Falcons looked like they’d be in the driver’s seat in the NFC South Division, but not quite anymore.
NFC South Standings
With their loss on Sunday night, the Falcons are now in second place in the NFC South Division.
This is how the standings look through Sunday night:
- Carolina Panthers 2-2
- Atlanta Falcons 2-3
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-4
- New Orleans Saints 1-4
The Panthers had a Week 5 bye, so they’ll stick a half-game ahead of the Falcons for this week.
It’s a fascinating spot for the Falcons to be in, for a couple of reasons.
How It Ended
The ending is the part that the Falcons will be kicking themselves about.
First, they allowed the Ravens and Tyler Huntley to drive down the field, score a touchdown, and convert a two-point conversion.
Then, with the Falcons having a chance to get into field goal range and win it in regulation, Michael Penix Jr. got hurt.
That put Tua Tagovailoa onto the field for a play, but then Penix came back in.
But in overtime, it would be Tua again. After more examination, Penix was held out.
The problem is that the Ravens guzzled the first seven minutes of OT clock and scored a touchdown for the lead.
The Falcons had to move quickly when they got the ball, and on their second offensive play of overtime, Tagovailoa threw an interception to Kyle Hamilton.
Atlanta ended the game with its starting QB on the sideline with a towel over his head, and with a much more uncertain future than it looked like they had with just a few minutes left in regulation.
Falcons’ NFC South Division Standings Change After SNF Vs. Ravens