ESPN completely disrespects Falcons in latest power rankings

It’s not often I come on here and call other networks’ content dumb, but this is hands down the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen published by a major network, and it’s hard to think of a close second.

ESPN just released its latest NFL power rankings following Monday Night Football, with the Falcons walloping the Saints by 21 points in their own building. It’s the Falcons’ second straight primetime victory by 21 points, in which they’ve totaled 80 points on offense with eight touchdowns on the ground.

Atlanta has looked like one of the best teams in football since the return of Michael Penix Jr. in Week 3, so clearly ESPN’s latest edition of its NFL power rankings will reflect that, right?

How about 25th.

“The first two weeks of the season were absolutely disastrous,” Falcons beat reporter Marc Raimondi writes. “Tua Tagovailoa sustained an oblique injury, and Michael Penix Jr. was not ready to return from his ACL injury. Third-string quarterback Cooper Rush was thrust into the starting role — with back spasms to boot — and the Falcons’ offense was hideous. They had a league-low 16 combined points in the first two weeks, going 27 straight series without taking a snap in the red zone. The latter was tied for the second-longest skid in 45 years. But with Penix back, Atlanta’s offense has scored 80 combined points in two weeks, the most in the NFL in that span.”

Now, I do want to make one thing clear: Marc Raimondi is not responsible for these power rankings. That responsibility belongs to what ESPN called more than a dozen NFL analysts. It’s nice that they keep it anonymous, because it’s obvious nobody on that panel watches much football.

The Atlanta Falcons were ranked right behind the 0-4 Houston Texans. But even more ridiculous, the Falcons find themselves two spots behind the Packers AND four spots behind the Saints.

How is that even possible? Those games were on national television, and it never once looked like Atlanta was playing the same sport as the other two. Those two games could be played 100 times anywhere on the planet right now, and the Falcons might win every single time. That’s how vast the gap is between Atlanta and Green Bay/New Orleans.

Additionally, the entire point of power rankings is to throw records out the window and really dive into how teams are playing at this very moment. One of the primary things they take into account is injuries.

The Falcons played the first two games of the season with a third-string quarterback who couldn’t throw the ball past the line of scrimmage. Those games should almost entirely be thrown out the window when talking about power rankings, because they don’t mean anything.

The Falcons still have a lot to prove going forward. Two good performances aren’t going to wash away what’s gone on over the last eight seasons — and nobody is more aware of that than Falcons fans.

But I can guarantee you one thing: the Falcons aren’t the 25th-best team in the NFL. Any NFL analyst who believes that should find a new hobby.