Do You Feel Better About the Falcons Today than a Year Ago?

[Smiler11]

1 hour ago, TheDirtyWordII said:

I think last off-season, most of us attributed our poor/subpar 2018 to being hit by the injury bug.  DeBo, Keanu, Rico, Freeman all lost prior to October.  With 2016-2017 being successful seasons, 2018 felt more like a bump in the road...like ‘hey, sometimes these things happen’.  I remember De’Vondre tweeting something to the extent of ‘wow, people forget how good we are when we’re healthy’.  I felt the same.

Fast forward to this off-season, I think the mood - at least my mood is much different.  Probably the biggest delta in that is I’ve stopped waiting for this supposed collection of young defensive talent to turn into a formidable unit.  Offensively, we can still make hay...but ultimately, I can look at the NFC and feel we’re easily not Top 6.

How about top 7?

[New Jersey Falcon]

I feel better in the sense of last year's first 8 games was a HUGE wake up call.  Obviously not what I or any of you expected - but the tremendous turn around showed what the team was capable of and that they were pissed with the 1-7 start.

The secondary, the pass rush, Gage, O Line all played better and showed what they are capable of doing this year.  Lindstrom missed most of his rookie year but once he was back he showed why he was a 1st rounder.  Mcgrary had to learn on the go because of missing pre season.  We replaced lowly Vic with Fowler, Campbell with Walker and Foye, Trufant with Terrell and Freeman with Gurley. 

Having corona now makes it hard for them to gel together immediately, but having Matthews, one of Gono (hopefully) Brown or Caprenter (hopefully not), Mack, Lindstrom and Mcgrary should do well if all hold up health wise.  As O line continuity is vital to the success of an offense.  I fully expect us to come out of the gate rolling, because another slow start will certainly end DQ tenure and he knows this.  Whenever the season starts I expect better results.

[PittsCreek]

I dont know how you cant feel better about this team compared to last year. The only positions we have taken a step back in is TE and LB but that happens in the NFL. 

I think AJ is going to surprise a lot of people that have only watched his highlights and remember the LSU game. I think this defense is going to look vastly different than it did last year. I think the offense is way better at this point than last year with Gurley being added and a year under Lindstrom/McGary. Hurst has the potential of being the TE we need.

Im not proclaiming them world beaters by any means, but I think the team (and FO for that matter) have finally taken the steps in admitting the team that went to the SB cant do it again and are trying to rebuild while staying competitive. 

[Grrrillapmpn Inc.®]

It's the Falcons...

 

Never trust the Falcons.

[octoslash]

Much better because last year's disaster was directly connected to a defense that came out of the gate without a clue as to what they were trying to accomplish, leading to a horrible 1-7.  Boom, instantly the season was ruined.   We won't see that happen this time. 

Also I try (most of the time)  to be an optimist, so I can't help but feel better about the team right now.  

 

[FalconsIn2012]

3 hours ago, Smiler11 said:

Talent wise we're probably the same, although I think hype is a little less after consecutive losing seasons. Julio and Matt are also another year older and there is a feeling that the window is closing. Then there is the Koetter effect.

Still I think we'll be a playoff team next year.

My thoughts exactly.  

Every year older Ryan & Julio get is a step in the wrong direction
 

[runshoot]

From a coaching stand point, heck no. I KNEW Keotter was the worst choice and voiced it. He is still a bad choice.

From a player stand point yes. We got rid of Beasley and Trufant, 2 very soft players.

[JD dirtybird21]

This offseason was definitely better than last years offseason. WTH was TD thinking signing Carpenter and Brown...

[Redjack]

No. All the exact same problem areas are in place. Believing that anything will be wildly different seems ridiculous at this point.

[Redjack]

43 minutes ago, Grrrillapmpn Inc.® said:

It's the Falcons...

 

Never trust the Falcons.

And then threw away the Super Bowl a couple months later. Bomani Jones is spot on.

[I Even Bleed Red]

The preseason will tell...

Yes, the preseason...

[Falcons_Frenzy]

About the same for me.

Last year we kept hearing how Vic Beasley didn't participate in OTA's. He made approximately 12 million that year yet showed a lack of dedication. 

I know they are optional. However, if a player skips them I expect that player to perform at a high level. Skipping them and sucking gets a one way ticket out of town. 

It would be nice to hear this year that all the players are participating and working their butt off. 

[TheDirtyWordII]

2 hours ago, Smiler11 said:

How about top 7?

If I'm ranking the NFC at the moment...

1. SF - as reigning champs, they secure this spot and they look poised to replicate 2019's success.
2. SEA - with Russell Wilson leading the charge and and offense that's upgraded it's weapons the last two off-seasons, think they're poised to give SF all they can handle.
3. NO - They keep reloading and are deep throughout the roster.
4. MIN - Know who they are.  Strong defense.  Strong rushing attack.  Passing attack that can do enough to hurt you.
5. GB - While 2019 a little flukey, roster is still strong and I'm still an Aaron Rodgers believer.
6. DAL - They fixed their worst problem in firing Jason Garrett.
7. TB - Brady >>> Jameis.  Year 2 under Arians
8. PHI - Very balanced roster.  Strong along both OL/DL.  Loved the Slay acquisition.

...if you look at the rest of the NFC, I haven't even mentioned LAR or CHI who despite downturns in 2019, still have significant attributes.

[Drew4719]

A lot of how I feel depends on Koetter, and if we get a second year jump in the offense like we did with Shanny and Sark. I really believe Morris will continue the defensive turnaround. And therefore, I feel pretty good about the team I guess, lol.

As strange as it is, there really is something to that every forth year thing like @mqg96 always says. Whenever we’re under the radar (which we seem to be right now) and playing the AFC West, we win the division 

[vel]

17 minutes ago, TheDirtyWordII said:

If I'm ranking the NFC at the moment...

1. SF - as reigning champs, they secure this spot and they look poised to replicate 2019's success.
2. SEA - with Russell Wilson leading the charge and and offense that's upgraded it's weapons the last two off-seasons, think they're poised ot give SF all they can handle.
3. NO - They keep reloading and are deep throughout the roster.
4. MIN - Know who they are.  Strong defense.  Strong rushing attack.  Passing attack that can do enough to hurt you.
5. GB - While 2019 a little flukey, roster is still strong and I'm still an Aaron Rodgers believer.
6. DAL - They fixed their worst problem in firing Jason Garrett.
7. TB - Brady >>> Jameis.  Year 2 under Arians
8. PHI - Very balanced roster.  Strong along both OL/DL.  Loved the Slay acquisition.

...if you look at the rest of the NFC, I haven't even mentioned LAR or CHI who despite downturns in 2019, still have significant attributes.

I agree we aren't a top 7 team right now. But outside of your top three, I think you're being a little ambitious.

Vikings? They will have a rough year I predict. Lost all of their CBs. Their pass rush took a real hit if they don't bring Griffen back. Downgrade from Diggs. I wouldn't slot them in with so much uncertainty there. Still led by a mediocre QB.

Packers? They feasted royally on a very easy schedule last year. I expect them to do the same and win the North again because of it. Throw in some turmoil and a draft that provided no real impact and I can see them slide a little. 

Cowboys? Throw them in the top four. Coaching will be their biggest question mark. 

Bucs? Brady is old. New team. Talented. But I'm not on the Brady train. He was washed. He's like Brees in that if you challenge the WRs and underneath routes, the offense is instantly neutered. I will die laughing if they force a 43 year old man to constantly attack downfield like Arians likes. It will be fun, but I still see them capping around 9-7. Brady isn't playing the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills anymore. 

Eagles? Year in year out hype. Linebackers got worse. Yes, they added Slay, but losing Jenkins is a bigger hole to fill and they didn't. They're offense is predicated on injury prone players staying healthy. 

But even with all of those questions, I'm not putting money that the Falcons are a clearly better team than any of them right now. Fans will. I'm fine with the draft. But we're back to the "Offense needs to score 30 ppg". That's fun for fantasy, but I don't trust this defense until I see it. 

[Jpg428gggg]

14 minutes ago, vel said:

I agree we aren't a top 7 team right now. But outside of your top three, I think you're being a little ambitious.

Vikings? They will have a rough year I predict. Lost all of their CBs. Their pass rush took a real hit if they don't bring Griffen back. Downgrade from Diggs. I wouldn't slot them in with so much uncertainty there. Still led by a mediocre QB.

Packers? They feasted royally on a very easy schedule last year. I expect them to do the same and win the North again because of it. Throw in some turmoil and a draft that provided no real impact and I can see them slide a little. 

Cowboys? Throw them in the top four. Coaching will be their biggest question mark. 

Bucs? Brady is old. New team. Talented. But I'm not on the Brady train. He was washed. He's like Brees in that if you challenge the WRs and underneath routes, the offense is instantly neutered. I will die laughing if they force a 43 year old man to constantly attack downfield like Arians likes. It will be fun, but I still see them capping around 9-7. Brady isn't playing the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills anymore. 

Eagles? Year in year out hype. Linebackers got worse. Yes, they added Slay, but losing Jenkins is a bigger hole to fill and they didn't. They're offense is predicated on injury prone players staying healthy. 

But even with all of those questions, I'm not putting money that the Falcons are a clearly better team than any of them right now. Fans will. I'm fine with the draft. But we're back to the "Offense needs to score 30 ppg". That's fun for fantasy, but I don't trust this defense until I see it. 

Good post. Cowboys on paper might have the most talented team in football. They have studs at all levels of their team. A great offensive line and defensive line complimented with talented skill players. The biggest question mark is will they continue to underachieve.

[TheDirtyWordII]

30 minutes ago, vel said:

I agree we aren't a top 7 team right now. But outside of your top three, I think you're being a little ambitious.

Vikings? They will have a rough year I predict. Lost all of their CBs. Their pass rush took a real hit if they don't bring Griffen back. Downgrade from Diggs. I wouldn't slot them in with so much uncertainty there. Still led by a mediocre QB.

Packers? They feasted royally on a very easy schedule last year. I expect them to do the same and win the North again because of it. Throw in some turmoil and a draft that provided no real impact and I can see them slide a little. 

Cowboys? Throw them in the top four. Coaching will be their biggest question mark. 

Bucs? Brady is old. New team. Talented. But I'm not on the Brady train. He was washed. He's like Brees in that if you challenge the WRs and underneath routes, the offense is instantly neutered. I will die laughing if they force a 43 year old man to constantly attack downfield like Arians likes. It will be fun, but I still see them capping around 9-7. Brady isn't playing the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills anymore. 

Eagles? Year in year out hype. Linebackers got worse. Yes, they added Slay, but losing Jenkins is a bigger hole to fill and they didn't. They're offense is predicated on injury prone players staying healthy. 

But even with all of those questions, I'm not putting money that the Falcons are a clearly better team than any of them right now. Fans will. I'm fine with the draft. But we're back to the "Offense needs to score 30 ppg". That's fun for fantasy, but I don't trust this defense until I see it. 

We can quibble on the order of rankings but what we’re talking about is the question ‘as it stands today, who is better than the Falcons?’...

I think folks writing off Brady are premature at this point.  In 2019,  his #2 WR was Philip Dorsett...his TE1 was Ben Watson.  The weapons he has now are probably the best collection in the league.  His TE3 at the moment is better than anything he had last year.  From my POV, he deserves the benefit of the doubt.  The Bucs went 7-9, just like the Falcons...they weren’t 4-9 though.

Even if the Eagles are hyped, they’ve been better than the Falcons each of the last three seasons...does that automatically mean they’ll be better for a fourth?  No...but I think it’s a tall task to try and convince someone our roster is better than theirs.

...and while I mentioned CHI and LAR, there are upstarts like ARI and NYG who should feel good about their respective rebuilding plans at the moment. They’ll need to show results,  it they won’t be pushovers.

Seasons get made or broken by positive and negative momentum of each fall Sunday.  So while anything is possible, as we look at how the conference is shaping up...there’s nothing IMO that differentiates the Falcons in terms of them being an upper tier team.

[Thiccolas Cage]

Nah, i haven't been right since 28-3. It's like I really want to root for the team, but my trust is about as high as the threshold at my front door.

[JetJones11]

14 hours ago, FalconsIn2012 said:

No.

If most are being honest, we had SB aspirations heading into Week 1 last year.  Quinn was taking over the D and we had an experienced OC.  The Kool-Aid was consumed 

...and then Week 1 happened.  Ryan sacked on 1st play and Bosher had his punt blocked 3 plays later

Bro every year being a falcon fan i legit thought we could win the Super Bowl including last year i chalked up the year before to injuries to Neal , Allen , and Deion as the reason we missed the playoffs but when we lost to Tennessee at home with Mariota and started 1-7 to start the year i lost confidence i have no expectations for this season they just gotta show me 

[Boise Falcon Fan]

Honestly, no.  Last year, I had my blind, homer eyes on.  I hope like heck we have a good season, but I am not going into this season blindly like I have in the past.

 

[Boise Falcon Fan]

14 hours ago, FalconsIn2012 said:

No.

If most are being honest, we had SB aspirations heading into Week 1 last year.  Quinn was taking over the D and we had an experienced OC.  The Kool-Aid was consumed 

...and then Week 1 happened.  Ryan sacked on 1st play and Bosher had his punt blocked 3 plays later

100%.  I was definitely drinking the Quinn Kool Aid last year. 

[Boise Falcon Fan]

2 hours ago, RightInTwo said:

No. All the exact same problem areas are in place. Believing that anything will be wildly different seems ridiculous at this point.

Although, I am not as optimistic as I was last year, I don't agree with this statement at all.  Strides have definitely been made this offseason.

[Pacific_Falcon]

I feel better about everything but the HC and OC. I think we are a little better personnel wise.

[Pacific_Falcon]

1 hour ago, Jpg428gggg said:

Good post. Cowboys on paper might have the most talented team in football. They have studs at all levels of their team. A great offensive line and defensive line complimented with talented skill players. The biggest question mark is will they continue to underachieve.

One can always hope.

[Vandy]

3 hours ago, vel said:

I agree we aren't a top 7 team right now. But outside of your top three, I think you're being a little ambitious.

Vikings? They will have a rough year I predict. Lost all of their CBs. Their pass rush took a real hit if they don't bring Griffen back. Downgrade from Diggs. I wouldn't slot them in with so much uncertainty there. Still led by a mediocre QB.

Packers? They feasted royally on a very easy schedule last year. I expect them to do the same and win the North again because of it. Throw in some turmoil and a draft that provided no real impact and I can see them slide a little. 

Cowboys? Throw them in the top four. Coaching will be their biggest question mark. 

Bucs? Brady is old. New team. Talented. But I'm not on the Brady train. He was washed. He's like Brees in that if you challenge the WRs and underneath routes, the offense is instantly neutered. I will die laughing if they force a 43 year old man to constantly attack downfield like Arians likes. It will be fun, but I still see them capping around 9-7. Brady isn't playing the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills anymore. 

Eagles? Year in year out hype. Linebackers got worse. Yes, they added Slay, but losing Jenkins is a bigger hole to fill and they didn't. They're offense is predicated on injury prone players staying healthy. 

But even with all of those questions, I'm not putting money that the Falcons are a clearly better team than any of them right now. Fans will. I'm fine with the draft. But we're back to the "Offense needs to score 30 ppg". That's fun for fantasy, but I don't trust this defense until I see it. 

Good post.

Nobody knows, it’s all just a bunch of wild *** guesses. Most pundits a year ago were forecasting a Rams vs Patriots repeat. Majority of those not were all over the aints and browns nuts.

Two years ago many pundits were forecasting falcons as most talented roster in NFL. So now we don’t have a chance? SMH. 
 

So much unknown goes into a season, a couple breaks go for or against you in a few games can make or break a season.

Talent. Health. Team chemistry/character. Coaching. And Luck.