Instant predictions for Falcons’ 2026 slate

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 08: The Atlanta Falcons offense lines up against the Pittsburgh Steelers defense during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images Look, we all agree that it’s absurdly early to try to predict whether the Falcons will win every game on their 2026 schedule, but that’s never stopped us before.

With a fairly well-balanced schedule that gets easier late after a rough, primetime-heavy opening stretch , the Falcons have a slate that they can manage if they’re good enough to do so. There’s no super-early bye week or cross-country travel repeatedly over the course of a month to gripe about here, so the fortunes of the 2026 team won’t be chalked up to the schedule. I will go a step further than my usual caveats.

When we predicted records last May after the schedule release, we knew the coaching staff pretty well after 2024, we knew the shape of the roster and had seen most of the players who were going to make an impact in some capacity, and so forth. This year we have a new general manager, a new head coach and offensive coaching staff, and a roster that has heavily churned with draft picks and free agents on short-term deals. We also have a quarterback battle between two players who have been crushed by injuries throughout their careers; all that adds up to a degree of uncertainty that makes this guesswork even more speculative than usual.

But let’s do it for fun, regardless, and I want to hear your predictions for the schedule after you read mine. Week 1: Falcons @ Steelers: Loss The Falcons don’t have history on their side here, as they’re just 2-16-1 against Pittsburgh all-time. The Steelers increasingly look like a shell of their once-proud selves and they don’t have Mike Tomlin around to drag them to the playoffs, but in Week 1 with so many unknowns and their ongoing difficulties against Pittsburgh and especially at Pittsburgh, right now I’m saying a loss.