5. Seattle Seahawks (6)
What a great road win this was for the Seahawks. Russell Wilson is feeling noticeably better than he was earlier in the season. This is the type of win that could catapult the Seahawks right back to the Super Bowl.
6. Denver Broncos (7)
Even a banged up Denver defense is still very potent. The Broncos forced the sound New Orleans offense into four turnovers on the day. If not for their own turnover problems on offense, this game could have been a rout. This team has some big problems on the offensive side of the ball. The good news though—they have a bye week to get their defense healthier, and they have a head coach in Gary Kubiak that is more than qualified to get the best out of his team as the Broncos enter the toughest stretch of their schedule.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (12)
For a young team, the Eagles are inconsistent, which is to be expected. What is great to see though are three marquee wins—Steelers, Vikings, and now Falcons. These weren’t lucky, fluky wins either, these were three solid victories. This team has to feel great about where they are at now, and where they will be for years to come. They may be in last place in their division, but they have the 3rd highest point differential in the entire NFL.
8. Atlanta Falcons (5)
The Falcons are still in a good position, but some of these losses could catch up to them later in the year. Only two losses separate the first place Falcons, and the last place Panthers in the division. The Falcons would be wise to not drop too many more games against teams they are better then or else they could see their division lead slip away mighty quickly.