NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Rams bounce back with win over Bears

18. Atlanta Falcons (24)

Where has this recent play from the Atlanta Falcons been all season?

After pulling off one of the biggest upsets from Week 10 by defeating the New Orleans Saints on the road, the Falcons found a way to earn another tough win away from home on Sunday to the Carolina Panthers.

When taking into consideration that Carolina has been one of the teams in the running for a Wild Card spot, no one expected the Falcons to march on down, and the Panthers a brutal 29-3 loss.

Between Calvin Ridley stepping up with eight catches for 143 yards with a score along with others filling in for Devonta Freeman, there are plenty of factors that came into play for Atlanta in this one.

Most importantly, the last two weeks consisting of the Falcons defeating two contenders from the NFC South have helped Dan Quinn’s hot seat cool down a little bit since the head coach has been feeling the pressure since September.

Back in Week 2 when the Falcons defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, the team seemed to be on their way to becoming a top contender in the NFC before going on to lose six in a row.

Sitting at 3-7 obviously makes Atlanta a long shot in the NFC to earn a playoff spot, but if they continue to play at a high level, who knows what could happen in the next few weeks.