REASON FOR HOPE: They can’t be this bad forever. There was a time when the Falcons looked like they might run away with the NFC South, back when they were sitting at 6-3 and the rest of the division was in disarray. There’s still a chance for the Falcons to start playing more like that team, even though they dropped their fourth straight game with a loss to Minnesota. You want to know where the hope is for Atlanta? It’s called the Raiders, Giants and Panthers, all of whom will show up on the Falcons’ schedule in the final month of the season. Yes, we know — the Falcons are now trailing the Buccaneers by a game and Tampa Bay has one of the easiest schedules left in the league. But you have to start somewhere. Atlanta’s defense has been an issue all season, and quarterback Kirk Cousins hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in four games (while tossing eight interceptions during the same stretch). It’s astonishing to see a team that had so much going for it not that long ago implode in this fashion. The Falcons still have enough talent to turn that around, even if time isn’t working in their favor.