The NFC South was supposed to be dominated by the Carolina Panthers this season, but that's not happening. Instead, the Atlanta Falcons are the class of the division, and rather than being the best of the worst, they're actually pretty good. They did lose their last outing, a tough-fought game against the Seattle Seahawks, but they still carry momentum into their Week 7 matchup against the San Diego Chargers.
Atlanta is 4-2 on the season with wins over the Panthers, Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos, all impressive wins thus far. Matt Ryan and the offense are working at a frantic pace and most other offenses have been unable to keep up, even when Atlanta's defense has struggled.
The Chargers also have beaten the Broncos, in their last outing, and they're hoping it represents a change in their fortunes this season. They already have losses to the rival Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, and look like a third-place contender in the AFC West. But a win over the Falcons and then another win over the Broncos in the game after that could be huge for them.
Unfortunately, the Falcons are really good.
As far as experts are concerned, there are not many who think the Chargers have much of a chance. Over at CBS Sports, seven of their eight experts are picking the Falcons to win. At ESPN, none of their nine experts are going with San Diego.
Here at SB Nation, there are no takers either.
Game | RVB | Stephen White | Thomas George | Jeanna Thomas | Adam Stites | Tyler Tynes | Louis Bien | Joel Thorman | Fooch | OddsShark computer |
SD vs ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL | ATL |
So it's all pretty stacked overwhelmingly in Atlanta's favor. Only a single expert from the three outlets think the Chargers can win. Sunday's game will be broadcast by FOX with an online stream available via FOX Sports GO. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET.