Monday Night Football Could Give The Falcons A Commanding Lead In The NFC South

If the Falcons needed any motivation to go into Lambeau Field and fight like hell for a win, the Saints' crippling loss to the Panthers should have provided a truckload of the stuff.

The Saints were crushed, suffered at least one potentially impactful injury and now stand at 5-8 with a dreadful performance at home against Carolina and only three games left. The entire NFC South is a trainwreck, of course, so you can't count New Orleans out, given the talent that remains on the roster. Yet the Falcons clearly have an opportunity here, one we have to hope they do not squander.

They have a game against the Saints in the Superdome coming up, and the Saints have dropped four straight at home. They have winnable if difficult games against the Panthers and Steelers. And then they have tonight against the Green Bay Packers, a game virtually none of us expect them to win. A victory in this one would give the Falcons a potentially commanding NFC South lead, though, and would all but put Atlanta in control of its own playoff destiny.

Tall task, I'll grant you, but no one expected the Panthers to utterly destroy the Saints at home, either.

What are your thoughts on the NFC South and the Falcons' chances?