FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — There's no need to bury the lead here.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked point-blank: Is Monday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders a must-win?
"I'd be lying to you if I said no," Morris said. "I would absolutely be lying to you. I can't tell you that (it's not). There is definitely more to this game than most games. We are essentially playing playoff type football right now. All these games become must-wins, except the only thing different right now is you don't go home, right?"
The Falcons have four games remaining on their 2024 schedule, two at home and two on the road: Raiders, New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers. Only the Commanders hold a winning record.
The Falcons (6-7) have fallen a game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) in the NFC South race, bringing about the playoff level of urgency. Because Atlanta already swept Tampa Bay this season, the Falcons hold the tiebreaker, which means all they need to do to clinch the division is match the Buccaneers' final record.
For schedule comparison, the Buccaneers still have to play the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Panthers and New Orleans Saints. Only the Chargers hold a winning record.
"There's not much, if any, room for error," Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. "We have to control what we can, and that's the next game. … We want to play in the postseason. But you don't get there unless you take care of what's in front of you right now. That's where our focus is."
The thing is, the Falcons were in control of the NFC South for the last two months. That control only recently exchanged hands.
After Week 10, the Falcons held a 6-4 record, while the Buccaneers stood at 4-6. Tampa Bay had a bye week in Week 11 before rattling off three straight wins. Atlanta, however, went on a three-game slide with only a Week 12 bye to break things up. Most recently, the Falcons lost to the Minnesota Vikings, and the Buccaneers beat the Raiders.
"I think for many weeks now, we've operated with a 'Hey, glass half-full, we're still in first place, we're still in a good spot,'" Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said. "And there's also another side to look at it to say, 'Hey, we need to win now,' like a sense of urgency. Instead of saying we're good, we're good, saying like, in a way, we're not good, we need to do it now."
They'll need to do so on the big stage, too. Monday marks the Falcons' fourth and final prime-time game. They're 2-1 in that spotlight so far. They'll also need to do so on the road, and the Falcons are 3-3 away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are 2-11 overall and 1-4 at home. This will be their first prime-time game.
On paper, the Falcons are the favorite. However, this is the NFL. Nothing is guaranteed. That's why Morris didn't shy away from stating the Falcons are adapting a multi-game, must-win mindset.
"I don't even think he has to say that in order for us to get the memo," Falcons wide receiver Drake London said. "These last four games are huge. I wouldn't even say just this one. I know we have to focus on this week solely, but everything is a must-win until the end of the season."
