Mike Smith: Falcons were very, very fortunate

12:38 AM ET 11.20 | In the NFL, being on top has its advantages. A division leader, most of the time, has room for error if a situation of difficulty surfaces, and being in the driver's seat could build confidence. The Atlanta Falcons are familiar with this advantage, as divisional winners for the last two seasons and throughout this campaign, thus far. However, being on top can cause displacement, and if caught off guard, a costly loss during this period of the season could be monumental down the road. The Falcons (9-1) nearly fell victim to just such a costly loss Sunday to the, now, free-falling Arizona Cardinals, who once were hot winners of four straight at the start of the 2012 season. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan completed 28 out of 46 attempts for 301 yards, but threw five interceptions. Due to a solid performance by the Falcons defense, Atlanta escaped with the win, 23-19. If the Cardinals (4-6) would have held on, the Falcons would have been facing a potential three-game losing streak if the hot Buccaneers (6-4) were to be successful against them next Sunday at Tampa Bay. The Falcons survived a classic trap-game, in which an inferior opponent caught a good team off guard, or over confident. Falcons' head coach Mike Smith considered his team "very, very fortunate."

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