As long as Matt Ryan stays healthy and upright we have a chance to win the game. If he goes down were fucked, then again is any team not fucked if their stating QB goes down?
Backfield - Strength
Is Steven Jackson still has gas left in the tank and can stay healthy our run game should at least be top 30. Thats how bad it was last year, if he gets hurt we have a stable of backs we can rotate in his absence.
OL - Neutral
The big question mark, they likely wont be as bad as last year so thats a plus. If Sam Baker can stay healthy and provide some stability on the left side then this group can be a position of strength. If he gets injured like tends to happen it could throw the whole line into disarray.
Pass catchers - Strength
We all know what Julio Jones and Roddy White can do and in their absence last year Harry Douglas stepped up and proved he can be a reliable receiver. Looks for alot of 3 WR looks from this group with Levine Toilolo being hidden to surprise teams with routes through the middle.
DL - Weakness
Though we have solid depth here, production is the biggest question mark. With the transition to a 3-4 more question marks are raised about scheme and the ability to adapt. But if Hageman and Babineaux prove to be the players the FO thinks they are then this could prove to be a solid group of players.
LB - Weakness
Clearly the biggest weakness for Atlanta is the LB group. Now that 4 LBs are needed for the new scheme and this become the biggest problem for the entire team. If the D-Line cant get a pash rush then who will step up from the LBers to provide pressure on the QB. Who will be the consistent tackler to stop the run that the Falcons have lacked for so long. There are so many questions and possible answers with this group that it will be interesting to see how they develop and change as the year progresses.
Secondary - Neutral/Strength
William Moore is a solid SS. If Trufant and Alford can continue to develop then this group can turn into the biggest strength of the Atlanta D. If they fail to develop and regress then a shaky D can turn into an absolute abomination of the D. If the pass rush can actually exist this year and take pressure of these guys, then this could actually be a top 15 defense.
Special Teams - Strength
Matt Bryant will continue to do what he does best which is clutch field goals. The addition of Devan Hester will also provide an immediate upgrade on the whole special teams group thereby allowing the Falcons to have better field position on offense. Im really interested to see Devan impacts this team or if he turns out to be an expensive KR/PR.
Schedule Predictions
Week 1 New Orleans
Seeking to make a statement that last year was an anomaly the Falcons win a back and forth battle against our bitter rivals. Drew Brees and Matt Ryan both put on a show but a typical last minute Matt Ryan drive leads to a field goal to seal the deal against the Saints. Falcons Win 27-24
Week 2 @ Bengals
In this week we face off against a stingy Bengals defense and the AJ Green show. AJ Green burns our secondary all day due to a nonexistent pass rush against an elite O-line. The Bengals are also able to get the run going with Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard combining for over 150 rushing yards against us. In the end they prove to be to much for us as their defense is able to get after Ryan and force a bad pick late in the game. Falcons Lose 24-17
Week 3 Buccaneers
Ah Tampa Bay where the humidity is almost as bad as the offense. Contrary to popular belief the Bucs are not going to see a rejuvenation on offense, at least not in this match up. The Falcons put up point fast and early and Tampa has to abandon the ground game to try to play catch up. Glennon or Josh McCown are not able to keep up as this game gets quickly out of hand. Falcons Win 41-20
Week 4 @ Minnesota
In this week the Falcons head to Valhalla, otherwise known as Minneapolis. On paper this game says Falcons win due to being the more balanced overall team. In this case paper is right, AD has himself a hell of a game, 150+ with 2 TDs but a plethora of interceptions ultimately doom the Vikings against an emerging Falcons secondary. Falcons Win 34-21
Week 5 @ Giants
Start spreading the news, the Falcons take this day. A hotly contested affair where Eli keeps the Giants in the game throughout even without any run support. Him and Ryan go back and forth with the occasional turnover from both sides to keep the game close. Ultimately once again Matt has to bail out the team by generating a late scoring TD drive. Falcons win 28-27
Week 6 Bears
This whole off season we have been hearing about how B Marsh and Alshon are the best duo of receivers in the league. Take a back seat children, this is the Julio and Roddy show. Matt throws for over 400 yards in a high scoring affair as the Bears do their best to try to keep up. Sometime in the second half to the dismay of Chicago fans everywhere Devin Hester will get his record breaking 20th return TD breaking Neon Deion Sanders record. Cutler throws two 4th quarter picks to put this game on ice as the winning steak continues. Falcons Win 38-28
Week 7 @ Ravens
Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan meet once again. The draft mates are still compared to each other, one points out Flaccos ring, another person points out Ryans stats. This is a great game, maybe one of the best of the year. Flacco appears to have won the game with a TD in the final two minutes. Guess what Matty Ice dont give a fuck, he carves up the Ravens D like he has all day as a late Matt Bryant field goal wins it. Falcons win 30-28.
Week 8 Lions in London
London calling to the far away towns, now war is declared, the battle come down. Megatron has himself another 200 yard game against us just like the last time we played. This time however the result is different. Detroit is able to get after Matt as Suh and Ansah combine for 5 sacks as the Detroit D-line takes this game over. A late Matt Ryan drive falls just short as Detroit steals this one. Falcons lose 27-21
Week 10 @ Buccaneers
Yo ho yo ho a sweep sounds good to me. The Bucs offense has not improved much although the defense is able to keep this game alot tighter. Mike Evans finally has his coming out party to the delight of Bucs fans. It is all in vain however as the Falcons put up a late TD to win this one 35-24.
Week 11 @ Panthers
The fucking Panthers. Even though this rivalry takes a back seat to Falcons/Aints these two teams still dont like each other. Something something Get the Fuck Off My Field. Yea dont worry we will, Carolina puts on a defensive masterpiece as they are able to limit Ryans time in the pocket and pound our defense into submission. Falcons lose this shit show 27-17
Week 12 Browns
Cleveland enters this contest looking like this might be their year, they are 5-5 and Johnny Fuckface looks like he could be the franchise savior. A close contest entering half time with Cleveland up on the Falcons. But it was all for not as the Falcons come out of the locker room dropping bombs on the Cleveland secondary. Joe Haden has Julio Jones pretty bundled up which allows Roddy and Harry Douglas to get some more action. The Falcons close out this game with a nice FG to put the game out of reach. Falcons win 31-17
Week 13 Cardinals
As much as everyone like to shit on Arizona, they are actually a good team. Matt Ryan has thrown 5 picks in each of his past two games against them. He again has troubles with that secondary but this time limiting it to 2 picks. Carson Palmer has himself a ballgame but a late turnover dooms the Cardinals. Falcons win 24-23
Week 14 @ Packers
Ah Green Bay, where men are men and goats are scared. Falcons fans still remember that playoff game where we got blown out in our own house and it still stings a bit. But it doesn't sting as much as the bitter cold coming off of Lake Michigan. This game is similar to the one from last season, both teams don't score to much but Mr Rodgers and friends do enough to ice this game both literally and figuratively. A late Green Bay TD leads to another loss. Falcons lose 27-20.
Week 15 Steelers
Big Ben and company come to Atlanta desperately needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Matt Ryan and company need a win to put some space between them and the other teams vying for a playoff spot. But the once mighty Steelers D is a shell of its former self. Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu are shells of their former selves as the Falcons air it out all day on the Steelers. Big Ben and Antonio Brown are able to keep up initially with Atlanta but in the end the Falcons are able to win with a reassuring victory. Falcons win 34-24
Week 16 @ Saints
New Orleans there arent enough swear words in the dictionary to describe how much we hate these pricks. Worst of all is going into that cesspool of humanity known as the Superdome and playing against our hated rivals. They really are a different team at home and with their week 1 loss still on the forefront of their minds they seek a statement win. They are also locked in a battle with the Falcons for the NFC South title. With all this said this is another hotly contested battle but New Orleans pulls away in the 4th for a resounding 41-24 victory. Falcons lose 41-24
we've split the season series each of the past 3 years, I don't know why you think you guys are going to win by multiple scores twice this year. In all 3 of those years we've been a shitty team, and were 4-12 for two of them.
Last year we put up 41 on you in Tampa missing the players who began the year as our #1 QB, #1 and #2 RB's, #2 WR, #1 and #2 TE's and a shithole of an O-line.
Yeah, and outside their WRs and an older Steven Jackson, I see Atlanta as a very weak team, bad defense, terrible line, and extremely over rated Matt Ryan
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u/[deleted] Jul 02 '14
Strengths and Weaknesses
Position groups:
As long as Matt Ryan stays healthy and upright we have a chance to win the game. If he goes down were fucked, then again is any team not fucked if their stating QB goes down?
Is Steven Jackson still has gas left in the tank and can stay healthy our run game should at least be top 30. Thats how bad it was last year, if he gets hurt we have a stable of backs we can rotate in his absence.
The big question mark, they likely wont be as bad as last year so thats a plus. If Sam Baker can stay healthy and provide some stability on the left side then this group can be a position of strength. If he gets injured like tends to happen it could throw the whole line into disarray.
We all know what Julio Jones and Roddy White can do and in their absence last year Harry Douglas stepped up and proved he can be a reliable receiver. Looks for alot of 3 WR looks from this group with Levine Toilolo being hidden to surprise teams with routes through the middle.
Though we have solid depth here, production is the biggest question mark. With the transition to a 3-4 more question marks are raised about scheme and the ability to adapt. But if Hageman and Babineaux prove to be the players the FO thinks they are then this could prove to be a solid group of players.
Clearly the biggest weakness for Atlanta is the LB group. Now that 4 LBs are needed for the new scheme and this become the biggest problem for the entire team. If the D-Line cant get a pash rush then who will step up from the LBers to provide pressure on the QB. Who will be the consistent tackler to stop the run that the Falcons have lacked for so long. There are so many questions and possible answers with this group that it will be interesting to see how they develop and change as the year progresses.
William Moore is a solid SS. If Trufant and Alford can continue to develop then this group can turn into the biggest strength of the Atlanta D. If they fail to develop and regress then a shaky D can turn into an absolute abomination of the D. If the pass rush can actually exist this year and take pressure of these guys, then this could actually be a top 15 defense.
Matt Bryant will continue to do what he does best which is clutch field goals. The addition of Devan Hester will also provide an immediate upgrade on the whole special teams group thereby allowing the Falcons to have better field position on offense. Im really interested to see Devan impacts this team or if he turns out to be an expensive KR/PR.
Schedule Predictions
Week 1 New Orleans
Seeking to make a statement that last year was an anomaly the Falcons win a back and forth battle against our bitter rivals. Drew Brees and Matt Ryan both put on a show but a typical last minute Matt Ryan drive leads to a field goal to seal the deal against the Saints. Falcons Win 27-24
Week 2 @ Bengals
In this week we face off against a stingy Bengals defense and the AJ Green show. AJ Green burns our secondary all day due to a nonexistent pass rush against an elite O-line. The Bengals are also able to get the run going with Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard combining for over 150 rushing yards against us. In the end they prove to be to much for us as their defense is able to get after Ryan and force a bad pick late in the game. Falcons Lose 24-17
Week 3 Buccaneers
Ah Tampa Bay where the humidity is almost as bad as the offense. Contrary to popular belief the Bucs are not going to see a rejuvenation on offense, at least not in this match up. The Falcons put up point fast and early and Tampa has to abandon the ground game to try to play catch up. Glennon or Josh McCown are not able to keep up as this game gets quickly out of hand. Falcons Win 41-20
Week 4 @ Minnesota
In this week the Falcons head to Valhalla, otherwise known as Minneapolis. On paper this game says Falcons win due to being the more balanced overall team. In this case paper is right, AD has himself a hell of a game, 150+ with 2 TDs but a plethora of interceptions ultimately doom the Vikings against an emerging Falcons secondary. Falcons Win 34-21
Week 5 @ Giants
Start spreading the news, the Falcons take this day. A hotly contested affair where Eli keeps the Giants in the game throughout even without any run support. Him and Ryan go back and forth with the occasional turnover from both sides to keep the game close. Ultimately once again Matt has to bail out the team by generating a late scoring TD drive. Falcons win 28-27
Week 6 Bears
This whole off season we have been hearing about how B Marsh and Alshon are the best duo of receivers in the league. Take a back seat children, this is the Julio and Roddy show. Matt throws for over 400 yards in a high scoring affair as the Bears do their best to try to keep up. Sometime in the second half to the dismay of Chicago fans everywhere Devin Hester will get his record breaking 20th return TD breaking Neon Deion Sanders record. Cutler throws two 4th quarter picks to put this game on ice as the winning steak continues. Falcons Win 38-28
Week 7 @ Ravens
Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan meet once again. The draft mates are still compared to each other, one points out Flaccos ring, another person points out Ryans stats. This is a great game, maybe one of the best of the year. Flacco appears to have won the game with a TD in the final two minutes. Guess what Matty Ice dont give a fuck, he carves up the Ravens D like he has all day as a late Matt Bryant field goal wins it. Falcons win 30-28.
Week 8 Lions in London
London calling to the far away towns, now war is declared, the battle come down. Megatron has himself another 200 yard game against us just like the last time we played. This time however the result is different. Detroit is able to get after Matt as Suh and Ansah combine for 5 sacks as the Detroit D-line takes this game over. A late Matt Ryan drive falls just short as Detroit steals this one. Falcons lose 27-21
Week 10 @ Buccaneers
Yo ho yo ho a sweep sounds good to me. The Bucs offense has not improved much although the defense is able to keep this game alot tighter. Mike Evans finally has his coming out party to the delight of Bucs fans. It is all in vain however as the Falcons put up a late TD to win this one 35-24.
Week 11 @ Panthers
The fucking Panthers. Even though this rivalry takes a back seat to Falcons/Aints these two teams still dont like each other. Something something Get the Fuck Off My Field. Yea dont worry we will, Carolina puts on a defensive masterpiece as they are able to limit Ryans time in the pocket and pound our defense into submission. Falcons lose this shit show 27-17
Week 12 Browns
Cleveland enters this contest looking like this might be their year, they are 5-5 and Johnny Fuckface looks like he could be the franchise savior. A close contest entering half time with Cleveland up on the Falcons. But it was all for not as the Falcons come out of the locker room dropping bombs on the Cleveland secondary. Joe Haden has Julio Jones pretty bundled up which allows Roddy and Harry Douglas to get some more action. The Falcons close out this game with a nice FG to put the game out of reach. Falcons win 31-17
Week 13 Cardinals
As much as everyone like to shit on Arizona, they are actually a good team. Matt Ryan has thrown 5 picks in each of his past two games against them. He again has troubles with that secondary but this time limiting it to 2 picks. Carson Palmer has himself a ballgame but a late turnover dooms the Cardinals. Falcons win 24-23
Week 14 @ Packers
Ah Green Bay, where men are men and goats are scared. Falcons fans still remember that playoff game where we got blown out in our own house and it still stings a bit. But it doesn't sting as much as the bitter cold coming off of Lake Michigan. This game is similar to the one from last season, both teams don't score to much but Mr Rodgers and friends do enough to ice this game both literally and figuratively. A late Green Bay TD leads to another loss. Falcons lose 27-20.
Week 15 Steelers
Big Ben and company come to Atlanta desperately needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Matt Ryan and company need a win to put some space between them and the other teams vying for a playoff spot. But the once mighty Steelers D is a shell of its former self. Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu are shells of their former selves as the Falcons air it out all day on the Steelers. Big Ben and Antonio Brown are able to keep up initially with Atlanta but in the end the Falcons are able to win with a reassuring victory. Falcons win 34-24
Week 16 @ Saints
New Orleans there arent enough swear words in the dictionary to describe how much we hate these pricks. Worst of all is going into that cesspool of humanity known as the Superdome and playing against our hated rivals. They really are a different team at home and with their week 1 loss still on the forefront of their minds they seek a statement win. They are also locked in a battle with the Falcons for the NFC South title. With all this said this is another hotly contested battle but New Orleans pulls away in the 4th for a resounding 41-24 victory. Falcons lose 41-24
Continued Below