CBS Sports Predicts Falcons Take Step Back in 2025

The Atlanta Falcons won eight games during the 2024 season, and it’s looking to be their ceiling for now. In CBS Sports' latest Atlanta Falcons 2025 schedule prediction, former NFL quarterback Danny Kanell thinks the Falcons will finish the year at 7-10. The Falcons have won exactly seven games in five of their last seven seasons.

The Falcons could be in for what is considered a tough early slate. They open the season against the NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. The Minnesota Vikings host them the following week for Sunday Night Football. They head to Charlotte for another division matchup with the Carolina Panthers and then they Washington Commanders at home before heading into an early bye week. Kanell thinks the most likely scenario is for the Falcons to take a single game in that stretch with a tough, albeit slightly better, remainder of the schedule to follow.

Kanell doesn’t have the confidence in the roster the Falcons are putting on the field this season to handle the competition ahead. 

“I think this roster hasn’t been upgraded significant enough… I think it could be a little bit of a bumpy ride for the Falcons this season. I went with 7-10 for the Atlanta Falcons,” he said. 

At best, Kanell sees the Falcons barely swinging a winning and possibly a playoff win. 

“Like the other alternative is maybe Michael Penix is the next coming of a Jayden Daniels or a C.J. Stroud, a young quarterback who kind of figures it out, and they are able to get there. I had their best-case scenario at 9-8 there. So over .500, getting a wild-card spot. I still wouldn’t see them winning the division, but I could see them, you know, getting hot at the right time. The back end of the schedule’s manageable. They could possibly win a playoff game… I just don’t think the roster is there for a 10 or 11-win season yet,” Kanell said.

He thinks the roster building is trending in the right direction for future seasons. However, they aren’t quite there yet. 

Fanduel has the Atlanta Falcons' over/under set at 7.5. 

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