With a crucial win over the Detroit Lions in Week 16, the Atlanta Falcons kept their place in the NFC playoff race and continue to prevail as they aim to make a playoff push this season. Even if they make the playoffs and don't go far, it would still greatly benefit Atlanta to make one last playoff run with Matt Ryan under center for them.

Not to mention, Cordarrelle Patterson has earned a Pro Bowl selection this season and it would be a huge payoff for all his hard work during the 2021-22 NFL year. With a mix of veteran superstars and developing young talent, the Falcons seem to have a lot going for them at the moment. Nonetheless, we'll now dive into the two biggest takeaways from the Falcons Week 16 victory over the Lions.

Matt Ryan had another clutch performance for Atlanta 

Even though he's reaching the latter half of his playing career, Ryan has shown that he's still got plenty left in the tank and can put up big numbers for his team when they need it most. With another 200-yard day for the Falcons, Ryan played with precision and poise and threw a timely touchdown as the Falcons came away with a much-needed win in Week 16. In their continued efforts to remain in the NFC playoff mix, Ryan stepped up for the Falcons once again and played with a level of urgency that paid off for them in a major way.

Kyle Pitts continues to blossom for the Falcons 

Coming off another big game against the Lions with six receptions and 102 yards, Kyle Pitts put his receiving skills on display once again and continues to make strides in his game. In due time, Pitts will become a top-3 tight end in the NFL as he continues to become a nightmare cover for opposing secondaries across the league.

His lethal combination of speed, size, and strength is what has made him a catching machine and given Ryan another set of steady hands to rely on. If he can continue to make big plays for the Falcons for the duration of the season then Atlanta may find themselves in the NFC wild-card round this year. As the Falcons continue to fight for a playoff spot, be on the look out for more strong performances from Pitts in the last few weeks of play.

The Falcons have definitely had a wildly inconsistent run this year and even though they started off the year slow, they've started to turn things around and managed to stay in the wild card hunt up to this point. It hasn't always been pretty for Atlanta this season, but their persistence and perfect balance of veteran leadership, youth, and versatility have given them a puncher's chance.

As they aim to make a big splash this season and turn some heads, the Falcons will definitely be a team to watch out for during the last few games of the regular season. If the Falcons were to make the playoffs this year, then there's no doubt that they'd be able to make some noise and be a tough out in the NFC playoffs. So don't write off the Falcons during the last few weeks of the 2021 NFL season.