Falcons handled Panthers 27-19. Michael Penix Jr threw for Falcons — 25/37, 217 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Chuba Hubbard did the work on the ground for Panthers — 13 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD — in a losing effort. Kalel Mullings has not had a better afternoon this season. Total yards: Falcons 380, Panthers 271.

Riley Parker: "Atlanta got bullied on the ground—129 to 89—and still had the ball in position to win, which tells you everything about how thin this margin was; New Orleans won a game it had no business winning on volume alone, and that 3-point margin doesn't capture how much better the math says this team should be." Jeff Epstein: "Kyle Pitts Sr. had his best day of the season in a loss, which is the kind of footnote that follows a player into the offseason—talent on display in a game that didn't matter enough to remember him for it."

New Orleans beat Atlanta 23-20 in a game where the better team barely escaped. The Saints outgained the Falcons in the air, 199 to 197, while giving up 129 yards on the ground, and Travis Etienne Jr punched in 2 touchdowns on 19 carries to hold on. Bijan Robinson answered with 97 yards on 20 carries for Atlanta, and Jordyn Tyson made 5 catches for 87 yards in the air game, but the Falcons couldn't convert 3 sacks into enough points—they finished 5-8 while New Orleans, already 9-4, improved a scoring margin that predicts them to win nearly 65 percent of their remaining games. Both teams coughed it up 3 times, so this stayed closer than the personnel on the field suggested it would.

Buccaneers kept it respectable. Falcons still won by 4. Michael Penix Jr threw for Falcons — 23/40, 290 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. Baker Mayfield did the damage for Buccaneers — 19/30, 232 yards, 1 TD — in a losing effort. A season best for Michael Penix Jr. Through the air: Falcons 290, Buccaneers 232.

Falcons had no answer. Patriots took it 24-3. TreVeyon Henderson did the work on the ground for Patriots — 17 carries, 71 yards, 2 TD. A.J. Brown did the catching for Patriots — 4 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD. A season best for Bijan Robinson. Total yards: Patriots 326, Falcons 184.

Cowboys took care of Falcons, 28-21. Joe Milton did the damage for Cowboys — 24/33, 260 yards, 2 TD. Rashan Gary lived in the backfield for Cowboys — 2 sacks. Make it 4 consecutive games past 250 for Joe Milton. Total yards: Cowboys 428, Falcons 340.

Colts 20, Falcons 17. Nobody watching sat down. LaNorris Sellers threw for Colts — 22/30, 289 yards, 1 TD. Michael Penix Jr did the damage for Falcons — 18/34, 229 yards, 1 TD — in a losing effort. Through the air: Colts 289, Falcons 229.

A long afternoon for Falcons. Saints by 22. Tyler Shough was steady for Saints — 22/30, 246 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. Travis Etienne Jr was the target for Saints — 6 catches, 94 yards, 1 TD. Through the air: Saints 246, Falcons 80.