Reasons Why the Atlanta Falcons Will or Won't Make the NFL Playoffs

[ADAMSVILLE GYM]

 

Jeremy Johnson

Jun 20, 2020

Everyone is looking for reasons why. In Super Bowl LI the Atlanta Falcons found every reason why they shouldn’t be champions.

They’ve clanked along the last three years trying to answer some of the very questions they began having to ask that February night in 2017. The Falcons have been the epitome of mediocre. That’s quite literally what their results translate to. A 24-24 record sits them in the center, or mediocre.

That’s all irrelevant going into 2020. Yeah right, that’s what they all say. The Falcons have been 24-24 the last three seasons for a reason. They’ve been average for multiple reasons. The same problems that plagued their recent history fester in the weeds with potentially an even more fatal bite.

Defense is a question

The Falcons’ issues start on their defense. The Falcons ranked 29 in sacks. They were 17 in interceptions. They allowed the 13 most points per game.

Translation, the Falcons couldn’t stop a team from throwing the ball, they couldn’t take the football away and no lead is safe.

Sounds like Super LI right?

That could be different. The thing about the Falcons is that there are a lot of ‘could be’ scenarios floating around prior to this season. There wasn’t a ton of proven things done this offseason to ensure that the defense would be better.

 

The unit did take a step forward in improvement in the second half of the season when Raheem Morris took over the defensive play calling duties from head coach Dan Quinn. The Falcons won six of their last eight games in light of the move.

Adding Dante Fowler Jr. along with draft picks A.J. Terrell (first round pick), Marlon Davidson (second round pick), Mykal Walker (4th round pick) and the return of injured safety Keanu Neal brings a lot of potential answers to the flailing and faltering talent that made up the unit last season. None of these pieces are sure fire upgrades as of today. The lack of offseason work due to the COVID-19 pandemic won’t make integrated their new pieces any easier.

Offensive line is still a question

Like the defense, the Falcons didn’t do much in way of obvious upgrades along their protection unit. Again, they seem to be living on a hope that players they counted on last season improve.

Matt Ryan was sacked a career high 48 times last season. The only new addition to the unit is third round draft pick Matt Hennessey, who played center at Temple University.

Hennessey could be a contender at the left guard position for this season. That doesn’t guarantee his play will be any better than what the Falcons got out the trio of players moving through the position last season.

First round selections from 2019 Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary should take a step forward in manning the right side of the line.

The Falcons will need to better in 2020 if they expect to be anywhere near the postseason.

Matt Ryan and Julio Jones can’t be great forever

A day will come, sooner or later, where Ryan and Jones can’t carry the Falcons’ banner with their high-powered offense.

 

Jones turned 31-years-old in February. Wide receivers tend to slow down as they age into their 30s. Jones is exceptional enough to ward off that decline in the meantime.

How long he will keep his current pace of play and avoid wear and tear?

If that decline comes for either Jones or Ryan this season, it will be hard for the an already creaky defense to carry the load.

Why not?

There are tons of reasons why the Falcons could be at home in January. There are fewer why they could be playing their way back toward the Super Bowl.

But why not?

The Falcons have oodles offensive talent. Ryan, Jones, Todd Gurley II, Calvin Ridley, Ito Smith Jr. and Hayden Hurst.

If their defense comes to the party, the Falcons could be the lightning in a bottle team. The NFC South is a winnable division. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Tom Brady. There will be growing pains in their reload after limited interaction this summer.

The Falcons are more talented than the Carolina Panthers. The rivalry with the New Orleans Saints is always a battle. The Falcons split with the Saints in 2019.

The Saints have won three straight division titles. The NFC South in its current configuration has never been won four years in a row. The division took its current form in 2002.

If trends hold a change will happen at the top. Why not the Falcons?

si.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lju713]

If we can run the ball effectively we will make the playoffs. Historical proven, that Matt at his best when we have a run game.

[NorthGaBoy]

44 minutes ago, ADAMSVILLE GYM said:

 

Jeremy Johnson

Jun 20, 2020

 

Defense is a question

The unit did take a step forward in improvement in the second half of the season when Raheem Morris took over the defensive play calling duties from head coach Dan Quinn. The Falcons won six of their last eight games in light of the move.

Adding Dante Fowler Jr. along with draft picks A.J. Terrell (first round pick), Marlon Davidson (second round pick), Mykal Walker (4th round pick) and the return of injured safety Keanu Neal brings a lot of potential answers to the flailing and faltering talent that made up the unit last season. None of these pieces are sure fire upgrades as of today. The lack of offseason work due to the COVID-19 pandemic won’t make integrated their new pieces any easier.

Offensive line is still a question

Like the defense, the Falcons didn’t do much in way of obvious upgrades along their protection unit. Again, they seem to be living on a hope that players they counted on last season improve.

Matt Ryan was sacked a career high 48 times last season. The only new addition to the unit is third round draft pick Matt Hennessey, who played center at Temple University.

Hennessey could be a contender at the left guard position for this season. That doesn’t guarantee his play will be any better than what the Falcons got out the trio of players moving through the position last season.

First round selections from 2019 Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary should take a step forward in manning the right side of the line.

The Falcons will need to better in 2020 if they expect to be anywhere near the postseason.

Matt Ryan and Julio Jones can’t be great forever

Why not?

There are tons of reasons why the Falcons could be at home in January. There are fewer why they could be playing their way back toward the Super Bowl.

But why not?

The Falcons have oodles offensive talent. Ryan, Jones, Todd Gurley II, Calvin Ridley, Ito Smith Jr. and Hayden Hurst.

If their defense comes to the party, the Falcons could be the lightning in a bottle team. The NFC South is a winnable division. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Tom Brady. There will be growing pains in their reload after limited interaction this summer.

The Falcons are more talented than the Carolina Panthers. The rivalry with the New Orleans Saints is always a battle. The Falcons split with the Saints in 2019.

The Saints have won three straight division titles. The NFC South in its current configuration has never been won four years in a row. The division took its current form in 2002.

If trends hold a change will happen at the top. Why not the Falcons?

si.com

The defense will be good because of Raheem Morris, Jeff Unbrich, Dante Fowler,  Keanu Neal, as well as guys like Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones, Foye Oloukon, and others that are reaching the stage where defenders step up.  The surprise for fans in 2020 will be Takk McKinley.

Our offensive woes are due to one core reason.  We could not block effectively.  Injuries, too much rotation, and the Brown/Carpenter experiment all hampered this OL.  Remember, even though Brown/Carpenter did not take a huge number of snaps, they got time and attention during training and practice.  Now, the Falcons know better.  We know who can play.  We will be healthier on the OL.  Consistency is the key.  You can rotate a single position other than center and have consistency.  Rotate center or 2 positions on the OL and things go downhill fast.  Barring injuries, this OL and Todd Gurley will invigorate our run game.

Regarding Ryan and Jones, having superstars is far less important than having a team that plays good consistently. 

I am personally not worried about Tom Brady.  The Panthers need a lot of work to come together as a team and Covid-19 has hampered that.  We need to split games with the Saints and take care of business with Tampa and Carolina.

My biggest concern by far is Dirk Koetter.  My second biggest concern is Chris Morgan.  If we can overcome the ineptitude of these 2 coaches, we will do well.

[PokerSteve]

Defense is a question

The Falcons’ issues start on their defense. The Falcons ranked 29 in sacks. They were 17 in interceptions. They allowed the 13 most points per game.

Translation, the Falcons couldn’t stop a team from throwing the ball, they couldn’t take the football away and no lead is safe.

Sounds like Super LI right?

That could be different. The thing about the Falcons is that there are a lot of ‘could be’ scenarios floating around prior to this season. There wasn’t a ton of proven things done this offseason to ensure that the defense would be better...

 

Funny how my feeling is the addition of Dante Fowler Jr. replacing Beasley is about as proven as things could get during the off-season,  nor does this guy give any props to the Falcons for getting a top-quality DL in the draft with Marlon. Complete disregard of A.J. Terrell, acquiring Harris, etc.

Coming up with a conclusion then bending facts to fit your narrative is so f******* amateurish. I guess you can get journalism degrees out of a cereal box these days.

[falcons007]

40 minutes ago, PokerSteve said:

Defense is a question

The Falcons’ issues start on their defense. The Falcons ranked 29 in sacks. They were 17 in interceptions. They allowed the 13 most points per game.

Translation, the Falcons couldn’t stop a team from throwing the ball, they couldn’t take the football away and no lead is safe.

Sounds like Super LI right?

That could be different. The thing about the Falcons is that there are a lot of ‘could be’ scenarios floating around prior to this season. There wasn’t a ton of proven things done this offseason to ensure that the defense would be better...

 

Funny how my feeling is the addition of Dante Fowler Jr. replacing Beasley is about as proven as things could get during the off-season,  nor does this guy give any props to the Falcons for getting a top-quality DL in the draft with Marlon. Complete disregard of A.J. Terrell, acquiring Harris, etc.

Coming up with a conclusion then bending facts to fit your narrative is so f******* amateurish. I guess you can get journalism degrees out of a cereal box these days.

The team may have got Fowler but the Edge is crap outside Fowler. TD and DQ need to go get some players on the edge. 

[falcons007]

On 6/22/2020 at 12:21 PM, NaGaBoy said:

The defense will be good because of Raheem Morris, Jeff Unbrich, Dante Fowler,  Keanu Neal, as well as guys like Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones, Foye Oloukon, and others that are reaching the stage where defenders step up.  The surprise for fans in 2020 will be Takk McKinley.

Our offensive woes are due to one core reason.  We could not block effectively.  Injuries, too much rotation, and the Brown/Carpenter experiment all hampered this OL.  Remember, even though Brown/Carpenter did not take a huge number of snaps, they got time and attention during training and practice.  Now, the Falcons know better.  We know who can play.  We will be healthier on the OL.  Consistency is the key.  You can rotate a single position other than center and have consistency.  Rotate center or 2 positions on the OL and things go downhill fast.  Barring injuries, this OL and Todd Gurley will invigorate our run game.

Regarding Ryan and Jones, having superstars is far less important than having a team that plays good consistently. 

I am personally not worried about Tom Brady.  The Panthers need a lot of work to come together as a team and Covid-19 has hampered that.  We need to split games with the Saints and take care of business with Tampa and Carolina.

My biggest concern by far is Dirk Koetter.  My second biggest concern is Chris Morgan.  If we can overcome the ineptitude of these 2 coaches, we will do well.

That’s the assumption every one made after 2018 season. Defense will be great with all the guys coming back from injury, DQ has taken over the Defense. The defense played great in last 5-6 weeks..  Blah blah. They came out in 2019 and put up historically worst defense in first 8 games.  I don’t worry about offense or even Dirk Koetter to be historical worse or even bad. 
The question on Defense is can they do better facing good opposing Quarter backs and can Raheem Morris continue what he did in final games of 2019. We shall see. 

[NorthGaBoy]

32 minutes ago, falcons007 said:

That’s the assumption every one made after 2018 season. Defense will be great with all the guys coming back from injury, DQ has taken over the Defense. The defense played great in last 5-6 weeks..  Blah blah. They came out in 2019 and put up historically worst defense in first 8 games.  I don’t worry about offense or even Dirk Koetter to be historical worse or even bad. 
The question on Defense is can they do better facing good opposing Quarter backs and can Raheem Morris continue what he did in final games of 2019. We shall see. 

For me, the turnaround on defense last season after Morris took over looks conclusive.  It was a dramatic change and they improved week after week. 

[PokerSteve]

1 hour ago, falcons007 said:

The team may have got Fowler but the Edge is crap outside Fowler. TD and DQ need to go get some players on the edge. 

I don't agree. Cominsky? Means? Larkin? Davidson? All 'crap' players? That's your opinion, backed up by nothing but deep-seated pessimism.

[JayOzOne]

This could be a reason why we make the playoffs:

 

 

[falcons007]

2 hours ago, PokerSteve said:

I don't agree. Cominsky? Means? Larkin? Davidson? All 'crap' players? That's your opinion, backed up by nothing but deep-seated pessimism.

I love Cominsky and Means. Heck I made posts about them here. But it’s not enough, we need some veteran like Mathews, Griffin or even Suggs. I hope they cut Bailey and bring in these guys. Davidson is a rookie, he will probably take few games to shine with a short offseason.

[10 Yard Fight]

Why They Won't

[Tim Mazetti]

My eyes are, and will be, on the DL this season, if the league can kick Fauci to the curb.

[Xfactor]

Why not ?

C'mon common sense

[SipDirtyBird84]

I love our chances! The addition of Gurley was huge! Defenses will have to pick there poison. I believe they will focus on Gurley and Julio but Hurst and Ridley will kill the one on one coverage every play! 

[4dabirds]

I am more optimistic about the Falcons today than I was at last seasons end. The DL talent has improved tremendously (I think Davidson is going to ball TFO), and that could be a huge factor in regards improving all defensive statistics. I think the improved D will lead to more turnovers, and better field position for the offense. I believe the OL will be improved as well with Lindstrom being healthy. I think you'll see the run game improve for the offense a well. 

Edited June 26, 2020 by 4dabirds

[Vandy]

On 6/23/2020 at 12:36 PM, falcons007 said:

The team may have got Fowler but the Edge is crap outside Fowler. TD and DQ need to go get some players on the edge. 

A healthy Takk is our wildcard.  Seriously, I haven’t given up on the kid.  
 

Unit played much better 2nd half of season. Cominsky played well when given limited opps last year, never understood why he wasn’t getting more reps. Plus, Maybe Harris just needed out of that clusterfuk going on in Miami? 
 

There’s valid reasons for some rational optimism regarding the DL for this upcoming season. Plus, TD may have one more move up his sleeve.

[UGABOZ]

the division will be tougher than ever. thats the first problem. ryan getting old is always worrisome and the defense which has been bad since dan got here

[falcons007]

31 minutes ago, Vandy said:

A healthy Takk is our wildcard.  Seriously, I haven’t given up on the kid.  
 

Unit played much better 2nd half of season. Cominsky played well when given limited opps last year, never understood why he wasn’t getting more reps. Plus, Maybe Harris just needed out of that clusterfuk going on in Miami? 
 

There’s valid reasons for some rational optimism regarding the DL for this upcoming season. Plus, TD may have one more move up his sleeve.

I hope so too Vandy. I never give up on a player but you know the saying. You can never have enough Pass rushers on the team. I don’t know about optimism regarding DL, I was pretty hyped after DQ took over the role of mentoring DL last off-season and camp. It just left bad taste in the mouth. Lol. This team needs Takk, Cominsky and Means to step up. I like to see the DL go after the QB and be formidable with rotation.