Fans’ confidence dips as Falcons fall below .500

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Since Week 4, confidence has been rising as the Atlanta Falcons climbed to a .500 record. That all ended last Sunday as the Falcons fell at home to the Carolina Panthers. Although a 3-4 record doesn’t necessarily scream panic, it has definitely caused Falcons’ fans to sour on the team a little, and you can’t blame them after the way things have gone in recent years.

According to the most recent SB Nation Reacts survey shown above, roughly 7 out of 10 Falcons fans feel confident about where the team currently sits, with a 3-4 record. The week prior, it was 9 out of 10. That’s still much higher than you’d expect after a loss, especially when the team is under .500.

The Falcons now have two losses within their division, one to the Panthers and one to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On Sunday, the Falcons will face their biggest rival, the New Orleans Saints. With no Calvin Ridley, the fans are lowering their expectations.

When it comes to the game itself, a majority of fans surveyed for the graphic above feel the Falcons have no shot on Sunday. The Saints will be without Jameis Winston, who is out for the season due to a knee injury, and Trevor Siemian will reportedly get the start following a victory against the Buccaneers in Week 8. It’s likely Taysom Hill will factor into their offense in some way, as he returns from a concussion, but the Falcons will definitely have their hands full on Sunday.

With a win against the Saints, the Falcons would climb back to .500 and no doubt see some fan confidence return as that would be their best win of the season. We’ll see what happens.

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