A pair of franchises that own two of the NFL’s longer postseason droughts will meet Sunday when the Denver Broncos host the Atlanta Falcons.
Denver (5-5) hasn’t had a playoff appearance since losing Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season, while Atlanta (6-4) looks to qualify for postseason play for the first time since its 2017 campaign. A win for either squad could go a long way toward ending its span of futility.
The Falcons enter play atop the NFC South, holding a two-game lead on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a three-game advantage on the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. It’s the only division in the NFC in which just one team has a winning record.
Atlanta had a chance to stretch its lead last Sunday but dropped a 20-17 decision to the New Orleans Saints, who had lost seven straight games. The usually reliable Younghoe Koo missed three field goals in the loss for Atlanta, which squandered an opportunity to take a stranglehold on the division. The Falcons’ offense failed to reach the 20-point mark for the fourth time this year and Atlanta fell to 0-4 in such games.
Kirk Cousins’ 306 passing yards raised his season total to 2,634, third in the NFL.
The 36-year-old veteran knows that the disappointing loss will have to be put aside before Altanta’s matchup Sunday against one of the NFL’s best defenses. Denver’s defensive unit is allowing just 17.7 points per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
“You’ve got to get the bad taste out of your mouth after Sunday’s game. It sits with you,” Cousins said. “But we understand the work it takes to get ready for Denver, the defense that they are, the challenges they present, and just the importance of the game. … Statistically what they’ve done this year speaks for itself. It’s a good challenge for us.”
Ready to challenge the Denver defense are running back Bijan Robinson (748 rushing yards) and receivers Darnell Mooney (684 yards) and Drake London (649).
Cousins was limited Thursday in practice due to right shoulder and elbow injuries but was a full participant Friday and is expected to play Sunday.
As impressive as Denver’s defense has been, the Broncos’ offense has hit a wall the past two weeks. After mustering just 10 points at Baltimore, the Broncos managed just 260 total yards in last week’s 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, the Broncos had a chance to hand Kansas City its first loss before Will Lutz’s 35-yard field-goal attempt was blocked as time expired.
The Broncos hold the final wild-card spot in the AFC, one game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals. For head coach Sean Payton, his players know that everything still is in front of them.
“This team has been resilient. The sky isn’t falling,” Payton said. “We’re sitting here 5-5 and we would’ve loved to be 6-4 with a win (Sunday), but the focus shifts quickly to the next game. I like the leadership on this team. It’s entirely different than it was a year ago. It’s tough mentally and physically, and we’ve got a good week of practice coming up before Atlanta.”
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns last time out, upping his season total to 1,968 passing yards — second most by a first-year player (Washington’s Jayden Daniels, 2,147).
“We’re close. We’ve just got to find ways to make plays and to get over the hump,” Nix said. “In this league, that’s the line between playoff teams, championship teams. All of the guys are going to continue to fight.”
Atlanta cornerbacks Dee Alford (hamstring), Antonio Hamilton (pectoral) and Mike Hughes (neck), linebackers JD Bertrand (concussion) and Troy Andersen (knee), defensive linemen James Smith-Williams (tibia) and Ta’Quon Graham (pectoral), and tight end Charlie Woerner (concussion) are all out Sunday.
For Denver, wide receiver Josh Reynolds (hand), linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (knee) are out. Safety Brandon Jones (abdomen) is questionable.
