FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons were riding high after a Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys. They upped their record to 6-3, the team's best start since 2016, the season in which they went to the Super Bowl.
At the time, the Falcons boasted a 4-0 division record, including a sweep of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their next closest NFC South rival in the standings. Atlanta's rallying cry of "Outrun the South" was coming to fruition.
Over the last month, though, the South has caught up.