Where do the Falcons stand as they prepare to take on the Titans?

The Falcons didn’t envision this. I have no personal knowledge to verify it, but if I had to guess, head coach Dan Quinn had a little pep in his step on the first day of training camp. And to be fair, why wouldn’t he? The roster, top to bottom, is incredibly talented. And his revamped coaching staff featured two former NFL head coaches serving as assistants. But then, as it always does, the regular season happened.

Sunday’s game against the Titans is one the Falcons should win. That’s something we’ve heard ad nauseum this week. Heck, it’s a line I’ve recycled once or twice. But that should scare us, too, because parity and underdog syndrome are real in the National Football League.

Without further adieu, let’s take a look at the state of the franchise headed into the Week 4 game against the Titans.

Injuries

Kenjon Barner won’t play tomorrow, which creates some chaos in the return game. Some combination of Mohammed Sanu, Kendall Sheffield, Ito Smith, and Justin Hardy will fill in. Jamon Brown was officially removed from the injury report on Thursday, which is great news for everyone not named Wes Schweitzer.

The Falcons are relatively healthy otherwise. Calvin Ridley, Takk McKinley, Grady Jarrett, and Ito Smith were all full participants in practice today.

Standings

At 1-2, the Falcons are tied for second place in the NFC south. Granted, it’s a three-way tie. At 2-1, the Saints find themselves in first place. notwithstanding the absence of Drew Brees. On the one hand, the Falcons are lucky the NFC South has, as a whole, played some lackluster football over the first month of the season. But on the other hand, and because this is the Falcons we’re talking about, their relative proximity to the top of the standings will surely cause us all to go into tomorrow’s game full of hope, only to see our dreams of a dramatic turnaround dashed by yet another penalty-filled game full of garbage time points.

Seriously though, it’s now or never if the Falcons want to stay relevant in the playoff conversation.

Your thoughts, Falcoholics?