DETROIT -- Pretty or not, a win is a win – and that's all that matters.
There were turnovers, there were controversial penalties and, some would argue, a few missed calls. Oh, and there were also plenty of field goals – seven to be exact.
In other words, some games – some wins – aren't as pretty as others.
And while there's still much to digest and dissect from the Falcons-Lions thriller, all that matters in the end is that Atlanta leaves Detroit with 30-26 win – albeit on a 10-second runoff.
Want further proof that wins are tough to come by? Just look around at the rest of the NFL on Sunday (as of 5 p.m. ET):
• The Vikings throttled the Buccaneers, 34-17.
• The Jets – the J-E-T-S, Jets – dominated the Dolphins, 20-6.
• The Patriots squeaked by the Texans, 36-33.
• The Bills upset the Broncos, 26-16.
• The Saints blew out the Panthers, 34-13.
• Chicago shocked the Steelers, 23-17.
• Oh, and the Jaguars started it all off by blowing out the Ravens in London, 44-7.
Now the Falcons sit atop the NFC South at 3-0 as the only unbeaten team in the conference. And only three undefeated teams remain in the NFL – the Chiefs, Raiders and the Falcons.
Even better? Those three wins are all over conference opponents, including two contenders in the Packers and Lions. That will be big come December and January. Speaking of the playoffs, the Falcons now have an 88 percent chance of making the playoffs – highest in the NFL at the moment – in Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight predictions.
Style points don't determine which teams make the playoffs, wins do. The Falcons secured a big one on Sunday, and that's all that matters.
