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The Atlanta Falcons narrowly avoided their first loss Sunday afternoon. It was an exciting game, one that probably shaved a few weeks off Dave's already finite, alcohol-inhibited lifespan. At 5-0 the Falcons are one of the five remaining undefeated teams. They face the trashiest professional sports franchise known to man the division rival New Orleans Saints Thursday night after a short week. For now, let's break down some power rankings.
SBNation: #6
Atlanta and Denver keep finding ways to win, but neither look like the runaway freight train that Arizona does.
Pro Football Talk: #5
The Falcons avoided a pothole. Now, they'll drive all over the Saints.
NFL.com: #5
Some queasy stomachs in Atlanta late Sunday, until Kirk Cousins gave everyone in red and black -- including the Coach of the Year Through Five Weeks (not that that is an award or anything) a huge gift: the old chuck-and-duck. Robert Alford's pick-six saved the day in a game where the Redskins were game. That's alright. A win is a win is a win.
Yahoo Sports: #5
Devonta Freeman had a 30-carry day in Week 3 and a 27-carry day in Week 5. He also has 17 catches the last three weeks. It's hard to imagine he continues to thrive with that heavy of a workload, but he looks tremendous. His decisiveness is a perfect fit for offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's scheme.
CBS Sports: #6
The offense labored against the Redskins, but the defense saved the day. That's a good sign.
USA Today: #6
The latest indication they're for real -- Matt Ryan had three turnovers and zero TDs in Sunday's escape. #Quinning
ESPN: #3
Three defensive touchdowns for the Falcons in the past two weeks, including the game-winning score Sunday. The Falcons had three defensive touchdowns in their previous 29 games.
A real mixed bag, with many commentators seemingly unsure of the Falcons going forward. They're certainly on a hot streak, but whether that's the product of relatively tame competition remains to be seen. Your thoughts?