Mirror Images: The Surprising Similarities Between Atlanta and…

I greatly enjoy finding parallels between teams in the NFL; more so when they are in opposite conferences. By week 11, it’s fair to start inspecting the (ugh so cliché..) contenders and pretenders. The most interesting teams tend to keep me hanging on by a thread: they have a solid roster and coaching yet haven’t cemented their identity yet. This year I am seeing likeness between the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans.

Searching For An Identity – Similarities Between Atlanta And Houston

To start with the obvious, both squads are 6-4 and sitting atop their divisions. They both happen to be in the weakest divisions in their respective conferences too, by the way. Quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and C.J. Stroud are having eerily similar seasons as well through eleven weeks.

Kirk Cousins:

C.J. Stroud:

Each has streaks of greatness and, alternatively, can lose in an unfortunate fashion. Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins spoke to the media in October and had this to say, right in line with my focus: “We’ve got to go prove we’re building character and we can build on it,” Cousins said. “That’s still out in front of us. We also found a way to lose one of those games against the Chiefs. It goes both ways. That’s pro football.” Just last week, the Falcons dropped one to division rival New Orleans who are in coaching purgatory post-Dennis Allen breakup.

Just last weekend Houston blew a game within their clutches – to the Lions – in which Goff threw FIVE interceptions. That is a collapse of epic proportions, and yes, also speaks to the grit of Detroit.

Defensively, both are flashing dominance, but not quite regularly. Check out their team defense standings as Houston and Atlanta are 22nd and 23rd, respectively. Per Pro Football Reference, these stats consider many categories and not simply yards allowed per game.

Both teams are well-coached as Raheem Morris is doing a fantastic job in his return to head coaching position. DeMeco Ryans was runner-up as Coach of the Year at the NFL Honors.

It is not so much that the Falcons and Texans don’t have an identity. Rather, it’s more of a lack of consistency when they do find what works. On Sunday Cousins and company hit the road to Denver and Houston stays in Texas to face the muddled Dallas Cowboys.