The Atlanta Falcons bounced back following two tough losses in a row against the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots in a span of four days (Nov. 14 to Nov. 18). Atlanta could only manage a measly three points in both of those games … combined.
However, their fate was better against the listless Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12 as they pulled out a 21-14 victory against the now 2-9 Jags.
Let’s explore a few takeaways from the Falcons’ bounce-back win.
Atlanta Falcons Week 12 Takeaways Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Cordarrelle Patterson continues to impress
Four-time Pro Bowler Cordarrelle Patterson is well on his way to one of his best-ever (non-Special Teams) seasons. While Patterson made the Pro Bowl multiple times due to his incredible work with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears as a kick return specialist, he has been Atlanta's most productive running back as he splits time with Mike Davis and Wayne Gallman.
Patterson has been incredibly effective as a secondary receiver as well. He is second on the team in total receiving yards (500) behind only phenom rookie Kyle Pitts (661).
Beyond that, Patterson has been something of a touchdown machine, as he leads the Falcons by a mile in total TDs with nine–four on the rushing side and five on the receiving side.
It seems that when Patterson gets that scoring itch, he literally can’t be stopped, which is helping to keep Atlanta afloat in the playoff picture.
2. Porous defense in the second half
Despite winning this game, there’s still plenty for the Falcons to clean up on the defensive side of the ball.
The Falcons jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the middle of the third quarter of this contest and looked to be comfortably in control of the outcome. However, the team’s shambolic defense let them down–as has often been the case this year–and they gave up 11 straight points to the lowly Jags (including a successful two-point conversion).
This comes after the Falcons almost coughed up a win against their hated rival, the New Orleans Saints, in Week 9. They gave up a whopping 22 points in the fourth quarter and had to be bailed out by a game-winning Younghoe Koo field goal (thank goodness for that man).
If you drill deeper into that, the Falcons gave up a staggering 92 points over the past nine quarters before they were able to stop the bleeding somewhat against Jacksonville.
1. The playoff push…?
With only six more games to go in the regular season, the Falcons are currently on the outside looking in regarding the playoff picture in the NFC. The good news is they’re just barely on the outside.
The team’s 5-6 record sees them tied with a bevy of teams, including the rivaled Saints, the Washington Football Team, the Minnesota Vikings and only a mere half-game ahead of the 5-7 Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles for the final Wild Card spot.
The Falcons’ division title hopes are almost certainly dashed with the reigning Super Bowl champs, Tampa Bay, holding an 8-3 record with just six games left.
If the Falcons were to make a push for the Wild Card spot, now would be the time, as they have the ninth-easiest remaining schedule in the entire league. However, it must be noted that both the Vikings and Eagles have slightly easier roads to end the season.
Still, a strong finish (and maybe a slightly less wafer-thin defense) could help push Atlanta into the playoffs in the 2021 NFL season.
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