The Atlanta Falcons move up from No. 9 in last weeks' power rankings to No. 8 this week, according to ESPN. They move up despite a 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans last weekend. They jump the Dallas Cowboys who dropped a spot after losing in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Falcons have the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars coming up over the next two weeks and while they trail the Saints by two games in the division, they are currently tied for the wildcard lead with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears at 7-5. They do have a Monday night showdown with the Saints on December 26th, which will go a long ways in determining the playoff picture for the NFC.
The Saints come in at No. 4 in this weeks' ESPN rankings, while the Carolina Panthers come in at No. 25 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 26 to round out the NFC South division.
For more news and coverage on the Atlanta Falcons visit SB Nation's The Falcoholic for all things Falcons.