Here are two teams going in very different directions. After a slow start for Kirk Cousins, the Atlanta Falcons (4-2) have won three games in a row, boosting their chances for their first winning season and playoff spot since 2017.
They will face the Seattle Seahawks (3-3) on Sunday, hoping to take advantage of a team that has lost three straight after a good start.
The Falcons haven’t had a four-game winning streak since 2019.
“In this league, it’s so important that you stack performances because they’re each their own entity and they really don’t carry over,” Cousins said. “When things are going well, you feel like you’ve got to go back out and earn it again and not get bored or get complacent with the process that it takes to win.”
Seattle appeared to be one of the stronger teams through Week 3.
However, things quickly took a turn for the worse under first-year coach Mike Macdonald, whose team has allowed nearly 36 points per game during its losing streak.
“It’s all in front of us,” Macdonald said. “Hey, there’s an opportunity for us to become a really great team. Now we’ve got to go do it.”
The Falcons have a strong duo in the backfield with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
In their 38-20 win against Carolina last Sunday, Robinson rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Allgeier added 105 yards and a score, averaging 5.8 yards each time he touched the ball.
“I love the combination of those two guys and how they work together, how they cheer for each other and how they feed off each other,” coach Raheem Morris said. “It’s just absolutely outstanding. It’s the definition of great teammates, those two people.”