The Falcons are 3-7 by virtue of two straight wins. Hardly an inspiring record, but the game itself was worth feeling good about.

So how are we feeling

Well I’ll Be

Sitting at 2-7 entering Sunday’s contest, the Falcons are likely playing for pride more than anything else. Not sure what message has been delivered to this team during the bye week, but it has worked. I’m not sure what was more impressive during Atlanta’s 29-3 win over Carolina: Four interceptions recorded, sacking Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen five times, or holding Christian McCaffrey to just 70 yards rushing. It’s been a while since we have seen the Falcons actually dominate an opponent. It has felt damn good to see them dominate two division opponents in a row. - Eric Robinson

What year is it?

I picked the Falcons to win in our staff picks, but I’m shocked. I think we all expected the New Orleans game to be a one-hit wonder, and somehow it wasn’t. The Falcons defense looked dominant for the second straight week, and the offense didn’t seem to suffer that much without starters Austin Hooper and Devonta Freeman. The Falcons are still a long-shot to make the playoffs, but it’s a relief to see the team we all knew was talented before the season finally deciding to wake up halfway through. - Evan Birchfield

I’m beginning to believe

God knows believing in this team is often a foolish endeavor. Yet, after two straight dominant performances on the road, it’s hard not to get excited. The defensive front has 11 sacks in 2 games and the secondary has been nearly flawless for 8 straight quarters. Yet, some issues remain. The running game is still awful and the protection afforded to Matt Ryan is not inspiring, but this team is winning - and doing it in curb-stomping fashion. If they can do this again against Tampa Bay, we may have to wake up to the idea that this Falcons team has finally come alive, even if it might be too late. - David Walker

WHAT?

I can take the Saints win as a small silver lining of the 2019 season. Everything worked for the Falcons but that was not repeatable. I was so young, naive, and wrong back then. If the Saints were embarrassed then the Panthers were absolutely defiled. The defense, with players suddenly not misused, looks legitimate. Dirk Koetter’s offense still looks uneven, but the Falcons are finally closer to what we expected entering the season. We may be waving goodbye to Chase Young or other top talent for a narrow chance at the playoffs, but I don’t even care. The Falcons have been so much fun to watch the last two weeks. - Matt Chambers

We’re having fun again

What will these two wins amount to, when all is said and done? In the grand scheme of things, these two and any that follow are unlikely to get the Falcons to the playoffs, and this season will still go down as a disappointment oeither mild or major. With those stakes gone and draft position and the coaching staff’s job statuses all that’s left to obsess over, at least we’re having some fun right now.

It’s also nice to know that those of us who thought the Falcons would be good this season have, for all the disappointment inflicted upon us, seen a brief glimpse of what they’re actually capable of. Let’s hope the talent on hand comes to better ends in 2020. - Dave Choate

The Falcons’ resurgence is a double-edged sword

The Falcons’ post-bye resurgence is parts awesome—who doesn’t enjoy sticking it to your division rivals and messing up their playoff scenarios?—and part infuriating. On the one hand, it’s nice to see this team actually play up to their talent level. On the other, why did they have to wait until they were 1-7 to make these changes? It’s incredibly frustrating, because even if this team blazes a trail of destruction through the heart of the NFL—including beating the possible #1 seed of the NFC in San Francisco—they still have only an extremely remote chance of making the playoffs. Still, I’d rather watch good football on Sundays than the alternative—and this team was never going to buy into any sort of “tank”. - Kevin Knight