
Mainoo lifts lid on 'difficult' Amorim experience at Man Utd
Kobbie Mainoo opens up about his challenging experience with Amorim at Manchester United.
The Atlanta Falcons face a challenging 2026 schedule, starting with a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Predictions suggest a mix of wins and losses, with uncertainties due to a new coaching staff and player injuries.
Predictions for the Falcons' 2026 schedule include a mix of wins and losses, with specific matchups against teams like the Steelers and Panthers.
The 2026 schedule is considered well-balanced with an easier stretch later, unlike previous years that featured more challenging matchups and travel.
Key players include the new general manager, head coach, and a quarterback battling injuries, which adds uncertainty to the team's performance.
The Falcons face historical challenges against the Steelers, having a poor all-time record and difficulties in road games, particularly in Week 1.

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The Falcons donāt have history on their side here, as theyāre just 2-16-1 against Pittsburgh all-time. The Steelers increasingly look like a shell of their once-proud selves and they donāt have Mike Tomlin around to drag them to the playoffs, but in Week 1 with so many unknowns and their ongoing difficulties against Pittsburgh and especially *at* Pittsburgh, right now Iām saying a loss. Am I going to talk myself into the Falcons winning this game, especially when Aaron Rodgers looks 52 years old this summer and Drew Allar throws the worst interception youāve ever seen in a preseason game? Yeah, probably.
Weāre likely in for a profoundly dumb game, because the Falcons and Panthers have been providing us with lopsided losses, rain-marred slugfests, and weird last second twists of fate for a while now. While Bryce Young has been annoyingly great against Atlanta, the Panthers have lost their first two games of the season four years running, and Young is a notoriously slow starter who has a 7/8 TD/INT ratio and 59% completion percentage in September, compared to a positive TD/INT ratio in every other month and a higher completion percentage in every other month but December. Itās not hard to imagine the Falcons, who have been rebounding well after ugly first weeks, taking this one at home.
Unfortunately, I have a hard time believing in a road primetime win against Green Bay at this stage, given that the high variance Packers are still one of the NFCās better teams. Will I feel differently if the summer looks promising and the Falcons come out swinging in the first two weeks? Absolutely. Right now? Not so much.
Like Iād predict a loss to the Saints, especially in primetime. New Orleans will be better, but I donāt buy that theyāll be *good*, especially because Tyler Shough is getting the kind of hype that seems to precipitate a crash after he was better than anticipated in his rookie season. The Falcons are definitely more talented than the Saints, so it really is just a question of showing up on the road under the lights.
The Ravens have been a little shaky the past couple of seasons, but I still view them as one of the leagueās potential juggernauts in 2026 with a coaching staff shakeup, improvements to the roster, and both Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry still on the team. The Falcons havenāt beaten Baltimore since 2010, and with Jesse Minter likely to get more out of this defense to go with a still potent offense, Iām not optimistic.
Chicago has Caleb Williams, the leagueās preeminent fourth quarter magician, and a great coach/psycho in Ben Johnson. I think the Bears might be worse record-wise than last year, but I also think theyāre going to be a very tough out. This game will almost certainly go down to the wire if the Falcons show up, but Bears devil magic makes me give them the edge.
The 49ers will be tough, too, but I didnāt love their offseason and the teamās run of injuries has been legendary. As good as they are, Atlantaās 2-2 against the 49ers and beat them in the tough 2019 and 2022 seasons. I think they can get this one at home, especially if their pass rush is back to full strength after what I assume is a six week suspension looming for James Pearce Jr.
I would love for them to go 2-0 against the Bucs again, and Iām very skeptical of their offense under Zac Robinson. That said, that Tampa Bay defense figures to be awfully tough to deal with, and these two teams have split all but one of the past four season series. Iād bet on a road loss, though Iāll surely talk myself into this one if the Falcons are anywhere near .500 at this point in the season.
The Bengals have real talent, but is Joe Burrow going to be healthy? Have they patched enough roster holes? Iām not willing to bet on either, so Iām betting on the home team here, even if āhomeā is being used a bit loosely.
I think the Chiefs have a major rebound season in the works, given the talent on hand and the fact that Andy Reid remains a terrific coach, and I canāt see the Falcons beating them even at home. A healthy Patrick Mahomes with some offensive upgrades and a re-tooled Kansas City secondary give them the edge.
Minnesota should be better than they actually are on an annual basis, whether thatās related to their record or their overall play. Kyler Murray significantly raises their floor, however, and theyāre both too talented and too well-coached to stay down in 2026. This is one of the lightly penciled-in losses because Minnesota remains beatable, but the upgrade at quarterback alone is reason to believe Atlanta wonāt catch the Vikings flat-footed this team out.
The Lions should also rebound, and theyāre just a scary team. Atlanta hasnāt seen them since 2023, when they lost 20-6, but Detroit remains a squad with a balanced offense, a talented defense, and a quality coaching staff that should get an upgrade with Drew Petzing taking over for a struggling John Morton at offensive coordinator. I can see a game Falcons team making this close, but Iām not sure I can see the Falcons winning it without a hugely impressive early season run and perhaps some major Detroit injuries.
Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees revenge game against a Cleveland team that I simply do not believe will be any good, even if their quality draft should at least carry them in the right direction. Cleveland in the cold is tough but the Falcons will hopefully be much tougher; itās very possible the Browns are also on quarterback #3 by this point and their skill position additions arenāt all going to hit in year one.
Iāll always appreciate Dan Quinn for weathering 2015 so well and the success the team saw in 2016 and 2017, but I donāt believe in his Commanders. The frantic shuffling of his coaching staff is a clue that things are not great in Washington, and I donāt think thereās enough talent here for Washington to be more than a borderline playoff team in 2026. These games have come down to the wire of lateāthe last five matchups have been decided by eight or fewer pointsābut youād have to believe in a big Commanders bounceback to think this is anything but a winnable game for Atlanta. I certainly do not believe in that bounceback.
Two losses in one season to the Buccaneers? Not without Tom Brady under center, buster. The Falcons have also won five of their past seven games against Tampa Bay, who wilted very badly down the stretch in 2025 as Baker Mayfield turned into a particularly surly pumpkin and the coaching staff ran out of answers. It would not surprise me if that happened again.
Again, am I going to predict a loss to the Saints, especially late in the season when the āfire Kellen Mooreā talk is really picking up? Nah.
Dispiriting losses at the end of the season have become par for the course for the Falcons against Carolina; the last time they beat the Panthers after October was 2021. Arthur Smithās ugly December loss to Carolina helped to doom him, while the frustrating January 5 loss under Raheem Morris at the end of the 2024 season proved to be a cautionary note for 2025, where the Falcons lost 30-0 to Carolina in September and 30-27 in November. I would love to be wrong, but I canāt see them beating the Panthers twice in one season. That would leave the Falcons at 8-9, the same record as the past two seasons, which will be frustrating given how the last eight years have gone. If they can better that recordāor just get there while showing evident progress and a clear direction for improvement heading into 2027āweāll still likely consider Kevin Stefanskiās first year some kind of success. Whatās your record prediction, and how do you see these games shaking out? *Check out****FanDuel****, the official****sportsbook****partner of SB Nation.*