FLOWERY BRANCH -- The Falcons are set to return from their bye week today.
They are set to face a desperate Arizona squad, which dropped to 4-5-1 after losing to Minnesota 30-24 on Sunday. The game is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
Here are five things to know about the Falcons on Monday:
1. First-place Falcons. The Falcons are in first place in the NFC South with a one-game lead over Tampa Bay (5-5) and a two-game lead over New Orleans (4-6) and Carolina (4-6). The Bucs beat Kansas City on Sunday.
2. Ryan honored at Boston College. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan took part in a ceremony to retire his Boston College jersey number during halftime of an NCAA college football game between Boston College and Connecticut in Boston on Saturday.
3. Neal fined $24,309 for illegal hit. Falcons safety Keanu Neal was fined by the NFL for a hit he made on Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews . Neal, a rookie and the 17th overall player taken in the 2016 NFL draft, was fined $24,309. He led with his helmet on the play.
4. Playoff plan. Here are the five things the Falcons must do to make the playoffs.
5. Giving Thanks. In celebration of Thanksgiving, fullback Patrick DiMarco will provide a catered Thanksgiving meal to 125 men from the Shepherd's Inn, the men's facility of the Atlanta Mission today. Falcons players will prepare and serve Thanksgiving lunch to the homeless at Crossroads Community Ministries for the eighth straight season on Tuesday. The Falcons Feast presented by Publix will provide more than 750 families with a full meal on Tuesday, to take home and cook on Thanksgiving, courtesy of Atlanta Falcons players, the Arthur M. Blank Foundation and Publix. In celebration of Thanksgiving, kicker Matt Bryant, punter Matt Bosher and long snapper Josh Harris will provide a catered Thanksgiving meal to 300 women and children from My Sister's House, the women's and children's facility of the Atlanta Mission, on Tuesday.
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The Falcons are 6-4 at the bye and have a major issue to figure out moving forward. The AJC’s D. Orlando Ledbetter and Noah Coslov get into that and the Falcons place amongst the NFC’s best.
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