NEW ORLEANS, LA – SEPTEMBER 26: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after an interception against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 26, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The most interesting team in the NFL: Week 4 edition

Each Friday this NFL season, we’re taking a quick look at the league’s most interesting team in action that weekend. This week, we’re going with the Atlanta Falcons.

Why the Falcons? Because Matt Ryan entered Week 4 as the NFL’s highest-rated passer. Dude isn’t making mistakes, and now he’s benefiting from a running game that has been tearing it up as well. The defense is still a problem, but Atlanta looks as though it is finally putting things together after a couple down years.

Why this week? The Falcons host the Carolina Panthers, who are pretty good. But the defending NFC champions have lost two of their first three games and risk falling 2.5 games back of Atlanta with a road loss Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

What should we expect? Who the hell knows with this Atlanta team? And that’s what makes them so interesting. The Falcons dropped their home opener to the inferior Tampa Bay Buccaneers but then won back-to-back games on the road to take an early lead in the NFC South. Last December in Atlanta, the Falcons handed Carolina its only loss of the year, but they they’ve lost each of their five other home games since the beginning of November.

Put it all together and for at least one weekend, the Falcons are America’s most interesting football team.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com, a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at CBSSports.com, Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Comeback Media, but his day gig has him covering the NFL nationally for Bleacher Report.

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