The Atlanta Falcons missed an opportunity to extend their lead in the NFC South in Week 10, falling to the New Orleans Saints on the road for their first division loss of the season.
Since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the San Francisco 49ers, the Falcons could have moved up three games in the division if they had taken care of business. However, in Week 10, the NFC South's bottom two teams earned victories.
Not only did the Saints end their seven-game losing streak, but the Carolina Panthers also defeated the New York Giants in Germany. All three games were decided by three points.
Updated NFC South rankings for Week 11
| Pos | team | Record | Dept. Record | Play back | Next game |
| 1 | Hawks | 6-4 | 4-1 | – | @Broncos |
| 2 | privateer | 4-6 | 1-2 | 2 | Bye |
| 3 | Panthers | 3-7 | 1-2 | 3 | Bye |
| 4 | Saints | 3-7 | 2-3 | 3 | against Browns |
Don't look now, but the Saints and Panthers are knocking on the door to third place. The Falcons can't let this result overwhelm them as the season isn't over yet and they could easily allow the Saints and Panthers to get back into contention.
The next time the Falcons face another NFC South team, it will be in the season finale against the Panthers. In the meantime, they can go about their business and not put themselves in a position to win against Carolina.
