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Good news, Atlanta Falcons fans! The bye week is now behind us and week 12 is here. On Sunday the Falcons will take on a floundering Arizona Cardinals squad that's frankly better than their record would suggest. If the Falcons offensive line doesn't get their act together quickly, the Cardinals' defensive front is going to make it a long day. But it's Tuesday, which means one thing: it's time for power rankings! Let's break them down.
NFL.com: 11th
The first-place Falcons were on a bye, though two of their competitors in the NFC South infringed on their lead. At 6-4, Atlanta is a mere one game in front of the Bucs, with the two teams having split their head-to-head meetings. The Falcons will face Carolina and New Orleans in the last two weeks of the regular season, but the next three won't be easy [...]
ESPN.com: 8th
The Falcons are the only team averaging more than 30 points per game this season, but that offense is about to be put to the test. Atlanta's next three games are against the Cardinals, Chiefs and Rams, who all rank top 10 in fewest points allowed this season.
SB Nation: 6th
Yahoo Sports: 8th
It's crazy to think that, after the Falcons' good start and the Buccaneers' struggles, the Falcons are up just one game on the Bucs in the NFC South. And the tiebreaker situation is pretty even.
Washington Post: 11th
The Falcons return from their bye in good shape for a stretch run in which they play four of their final six games at home. It seems doubtful that they can overtake the Seahawks or Cowboys for an opening-round playoff bye. But the division title should be theirs.
Bleacher Report: 9th
All of a sudden, the Falcons have company in the NFC South. They'll need to re-establish themselves as division kings when Week 12 rolls around, because the three teams behind Atlanta in the standings are no more than two games out.
These rankings seem fair, though I do believe the Falcons are a solid, top 10 team. A win this week will give this team a considerable bump in the week 13 power ranking. And that's significant, because power rankings matter and stuff.
Your thoughts?