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The Atlanta Falcons pulled off an impressive win in an away game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. It was a win that Dan Quinn, the Falcons, and the fan base desperately needed. If momentum means anything in the NFL, the tough road ahead would've been even tougher after an 0-2 start. Now at 1-1, the Falcons are getting mixed reviews but overall, the Falcons are climbing the power rankings.
NFL.com: 20th
Sunday's win puts Dan Quinn squarely at .500 (9-9) in his tenure as the Falcons' front man. The victory in Oakland displayed character for his group as a whole -- and it slowed the roll of the Matt Ryan haters. Ryan, who has fared less viably on the road than at home in recent vintage, looked superb for the better part of the afternoon. Things were going so well that two batted balls landed right in the hands of his unintended targets ... one of them procuring a huge first down. Solid, lucky and back in the win column. #riseup #stevebartkowski
ESPN: 17th
Matt Ryan leads all quarterbacks this season with an average of 10.0 yards per attempt. The Falcons may be 1-1, but Ryan could easily keep up that pace against the worst pass defense in the NFL (Saints) on Monday night.
SB Nation: 18th
Yahoo Sports: 20th
The big upset this week was Atlanta stunning the Raiders in Oakland. It took a perfect game from Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, though. The Falcons still have too many defensive issues to be taken seriously.
Washington Post: 17th
The Falcons remain tough to read and even tougher to predict. Just when you're ready to proclaim them in serious decline after last season's unraveling act and this season's opening defeat to the Buccaneers, they go to Oakland and win. Their next two games, at New Orleans and home against the Panthers, will be telling as to where they stand in the NFC South.
Bleacher Report: 17th
It's better to be lucky than good—but Matt Ryan was both Sunday. That helped them become this week's biggest rankings riser. He threw for nearly 400 yards against a much-improved secondary on the opposite coast. That takes skill; a tipped-ball touchdown to Justin Hardy took luck. I've been tough on Ryan through two weeks. It seems his team has figured what situations he thrives in (no-huddle, quick-to-the-ball) and where he likes to go when throwing over the middle (10 completions to three different tight ends).
Your thoughts? Where would you rank the Falcons?