NFC South 2011 Summary: Falcons 2011 Game-By-Game Results Give the Saints the Division and the Bucs a Playoff Shot

You must understand all the "Ts" must be crossed and the "Is" must be dotted in my mind. That is why I must revisit the Atlanta Falcons and their 2011 schedule. I want to keep in step with the other teams I'm writing about on a game-by-game basis. In this article, I'm going to complete the Atlanta Falcons 2011 schedule and summarize the NFC South for 2011.

I am using the FB Schedules website's "2011 Atlanta Falcons Opponents."

The Falcons against the NFC South:

They will be swept by the Saints, who I think will win the division; sweep the Panthers; and split with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their record will be 3-3.

The Falcons' non-divisional home games:

Atlanta will again lose to Green Bay and will also lose to the Philadelphia Eagles. They will beat the Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans -- their record will be 3-2 at home.

Atlanta on the road against non-divisional teams:

The Atlanta Falcons will post a dismal 1-4 road record in 2011. They will lose to the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions. They will beat the Seattle Seahawks.

Simply, the Falcons will be 7-9 in 2011 and not make the playoffs.

What do the records in the NFC South tell us?

I have Atlanta going 7-9 and staying home; the Panthers will be 5-11, a slight improvement; Tampa Bay will be 10-6; and the New Orleans Saints will be 12-4.

New Orleans will return to true championship form after being "without focus" in 2010 (even though they did make the playoffs). The Buccaneers will get another shot at a Wild Card and I think they have a better chance of making it because Atlanta is going to have a down year. I think they will suffer from "aftershock" after having a great season and then losing right away in the playoffs. The Panthers will get a little better but will not be a force to be reckoned with until they get some personnel issues resolved and get back on track.

As the union and owners continue their talks, let's hope that the fun we're having figuring out where teams are going to "fit" in 2011 is not for naught.

Reference:

FB Schedules.com Website, "2011 Atlanta Falcons Football Schedule"