Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Tuesday, Dec. 14

Good morning, Falcoholics, and happy Tuesday! We’re still basking in the glow of that win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Was it the prettiest win? No, but a dub is a dub, and the 29-21 Falcons victory keeps the Birds in the playoff hunt, as silly as that may sound with the team sitting just a hair under .500 at 6-7.

Let that sink in folks — for the first time in four years, the Falcons are actually relevant in December thanks to yesterday’s win keeping them in the mix. That’s not to say there aren’t glaring issues with this team that need improvement, or that there isn’t a dramatic talent deficit the team likely won’t be able to fix with just one offseason. But we have seen some progress, especially on the road.

And the Falcons hit the road again this week to take on a familiar foe: former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and a former division rival in the San Francisco 49ers. Being on the road has been better for the Falcons than being at home, judging by the grand total of one (1) home win for this team this season, against the hapless Jets, and that one was just technically a home game since it was played in London. Still, the Falcons are big-time underdogs going into this one, and Shanahan’s familiarity with this team may give the Niners an edge. Regardless, keep an eye on The Falcoholic this week as we preview the matchup, keep you up to date on key injuries and news, and give you everything you need to know about this week’s game.

Falcoholic news and notes:

• Speaking of key injuries, unfortunately, Erik Harris will miss the remainder of the Falcons’ season with a torn pec.
• Relive that Falcons win yesterday with this recap from Dave.
• Get DW and Evan’s take on the game with The Falcoholic’s post-game podcast.
• It was a little easier this week to come up with some players who managed to shine in yesterday’s game. Will McFadden has it covered with his weekly 3 up, 3 down column.
• Who would you name as Atlanta’s offensive MVP of the win over the Panthers? David Walker has your options here.
• We even had some strong candidates for the defensive MVP of the game. You can weigh in with your thoughts on DW’s choices here.
• Adnan Ikic is here with the Falcons’ fantasy stud and dud of the week.

Around the NFC South:

• The Saints beat the Jets on Sunday, snapping a recent losing streak. They’re still trash, though.
• The Buccaneers managed to hold on for a wild overtime win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Next up, it’s an NFC South showdown between the Bucs and the Saints in Week 15.
• And we already know how the Panthers fared on Sunday. Our friends at Cat Scratch Reader are down bad.

Looking ahead:

• The Niners pulled off a thrilling overtime victory over the Bengals yesterday, and they have a ton of talented players like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Nick Bosa, but Jimmy Garoppolo’s inconsistency might help the Falcons in Week 15.

More Falcons news and notes:

• ‘We took it personal’: Mykal Walker, Falcons defense respond in Panthers rematch, Kris Rhim of AtlantaFalcons.com
• Falcons are still in the playoff race, and it’s because of Arthur Smith, Jeff Schults at The Athletic (subscription required)
• Mykal Walker celebrates the birth of his son with pick-six, D. Orlando Ledbetter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• ICYMI from over the weekend: Could the Atlanta Falcons’ Cordarrelle Patterson be creating a world of positionless football? Michael Rothstein, ESPN

Give us a call!

Call into The Falcoholic Podcast voicemail line and share your thoughts with DW and Jeanna about the Falcons’ win over the Panthers and what we can expect from this team looking forward.

Open thread question of the day:

What’s your best case scenario for the Falcons this season? Win out and make the postseason? Lose out and get a higher draft pick? Keep everyone healthy and just get to the offseason? Weigh in below in the comments, and please be mindful of our community guidelines.