NFL
Clipped Wings
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Is it too early to call this a lost season for the Atlanta Falcons?
They were just trounced 41-17 by Pittsburgh, bringing their record to 1-4. Going in to the game, we thought it would be a shootout because both teams have high powered offenses and putrid defenses.
The biggest surprise is that the Steelers kept the Falcons offense in check. Pittsburgh statistically has a worse defense, ranked 29th in total defense. Atlanta’s defense is 28th, giving up 398.6 yards per game. The Falcons have given up more points than any NFL team this season.
Matt Ryan threw for 285 yards, 1 touchdown and he was sacked 6 times. He also fumbled while being sacked by T.J. Watt and it was recovered for a touchdown. Ryan spent the final minutes of Atlanta’s third straight loss on the sideline with the game out of reach.
Devonta Freeman returned for the first time since Game 1. He had 8 carries for 32 yards and Tevin Coleman had 7 rushes for 15 yards. Surprisingly Austin Hooper was the leading receiver with 9 catches and 77 yards. Julio Jones has still not found the end zone this season. He finished with 5 catches and 52 yards.
Matt Bosher also had a punt blocked and the ball was recovered at the Atlanta 19-yard line. That led to an easy James Conner touchdown. The Falcons were outscored 28-7 in the second half.
“I recognize the question if we have enough firepower with some of the injuries there. I do, and in some cases, there’s some on-the-job training, and we expect that. But by no stretch is our entire team decimate, and by no stretch are the guys we have playing not capable for the job. I stand by who we are and (expect) the talent that we have to play well. We missed it this afternoon, in the second half especially,” Dan Quinn said.
Right now, it looks like it’s going to be a long season. To put it in perspective there are still 11 games remaining. There is a chance to turn things around but I think it will be very tough. There are so many injuries on the defense that will be difficult to overcome.
The offensive line was very porous against one of the worst defenses in the league. They need to shore that up to protect their $150 million dollar investment.
“Everybody knows our protection needs to be better than it’s been,” said Ryan. “The hardest part for players is having to watch that film and critically evaluate yourself. I think with the kind of guys that we have there’s not going to be a whole lot that needs to be said.”
The next game is at home against Tampa Bay. The Bucs lost two straight games before going in to a bye week. They took Ryan Fitzpatrick out after his hot start and Jameis Winston will be the starting quarterback for that game.
This should be a game that Atlanta can win but we will learn a lot about them. Tampa Bay struggles at running the ball so I expect them to rack up a ton of passing yards. Winston takes risks so he should throw a couple of interceptions.
If the Falcons lose this game then it will be hard to find more wins on the schedule. On the bright side they may be getting ready for a top five draft pick.
Falcons Back In Flight
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons rebounded after a Week 1 loss. They beat division rival Carolina 31-24 in a very competitive game.
Matt Ryan finished 23 of 28 passing for 272 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in a performance that took some of the heat off offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
Matty Ice also channeled his inner Mike Vick on a touchdown run in the third quarter. Looking to throw on third-and-5 from the Carolina 8, he spotted a running lane to the left and took off.
“I didn’t want to slide in that situation or go down because you don’t know where you’re going to be marked,” he said. “I felt something below my feet, and just went up the best I could. It was a good decision.”
Eight players caught passes. Six ran the ball including Tevin Coleman, who gained 107 yards on 16 carries filling in for injured Devonta Freeman. Rookie Ito Smith also played well adding 46 yards on 9 carries.
The Falcons resembled the high-scoring team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl two seasons ago with Kyle Shanahan as the coordinator.
Tight end Austin Hooper had five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Calvin Ridley scored his first NFL touchdown and had for receptions for 64 yards. Julio also hauled in five catches for 64 yards.
Atlanta has one of the most talented offenses in pro football. It is head scratching that they played so poorly in the season opener. It’s especially interesting considering Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns against that same Eagles defense.
The Falcons are happy to get the win but I still see some red flags. The total yards were almost even with Carolina gaining 439 and Atlanta with 442. Each team also had one turnover.
The defense is dealing with injuries, missing two Pro Bowlers. Safety Keanu Neal tore his ACL in the first game and he will miss the rest of the season. Linebacker Deion Jones was also placed on injured reserve after the Philly game with a foot injury.
“We are bummed for Deion but we do expect to get him back at some point this season. He represents all that we are looking for in a Falcon player, and while he will not be on the field for us right now, he will continue to have a presence in our building,” coach Dan Quinn said in a statement.
Second year linebacker Duke Riley is filling in and he has not played well since joining the NFL. The team is hoping he can make drastic improvements this season.
Cam Newton is known more for being an athletic quarterback and less for his accuracy but he had a good day through the air. He passed for 335 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 pick. He also took a cheap shot from safety Damontae Kazee who was thrown out of the game for the helmet-to-helmet hit while the Panthers quarterback was sliding at the end of a run.
The Falcons should feel good going into the Week 3 home game against New Orleans. The Saints needed a last second field goal to win against the lowly Browns. The week before they gave up 48 points to Tampa Bay.
I expect this to be a high scoring shoot-out. It will come down to the defense to make a critical stop.
NFC South
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL season has officially kicked off and there were some great games.
All 32 teams (even Cleveland) believe they have a chance for a winning season at this point. Well maybe not Buffalo but you get my drift. We’re going to take a look around the NFC South to see what we learned.
New Orleans and Tampa Bay played a great, high scoring game. The Buccaneers won 48-40 on the road. The first thing that jumps out is the lack of defense from both teams.
Jameis Winston is currently serving a three-game suspension, so journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick played. Surprisingly, Fitzpatrick threw for 417 yards, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions and completed 75% of his passes.
He played amazing but he has been inconsistent his entire career. I believe if he wins another game, he will take the starting job from Winston.
The Saints have been known for elite offense since Sean Payton and Drew Brees came to town in 2006 and they did not disappoint.
Wide receiver Michael Thomas had a monster game with 16 catches, 180 yards and a TD. He also had a costly fumble that Tampa Bay recovered.
Alvin Kamara showed that he would not have a sophomore slump. He scored 3 total touchdowns, a 2-point conversion and had over one hundred yards receiving.
Carolina beat Dallas 16-8. The Panthers defense looked good, holding Ezekiel Elliot to 69 yards rushing. Cam Newton lived up to his Super Man nickname, leading the team in rushing yards. He scored a TD on the ground and he looked better as a passer by completing 65% of his attempts.
We have to take into consideration this was against the Cowboys and their offense is not very good. Dallas has been elite at running the ball but they do not have any playmakers other than Elliott.
I think Carolina’s defense is good but we need to see them against better offenses.
Linebacker Luke Kuechly left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury so that is something to monitor.
Atlanta opened on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles won 18-12 and it was a sloppy game that was delayed to due lightning.
If you recall in last season’s playoff game it came down to the final play and the Falcons could not score the winning touchdown.
The Red Zone woes continued for the Falcons and that is troubling. They had five trips to the Red Zone and scored once.
On the final play of the game Atlanta was inside the Eagles 10-yard line and of course, they have to throw to Julio Jones. Unfortunately, Ryan did not throw him a catchable ball, just like the playoff loss.
I’ve always been a big Matty Ice fan but his expectations were raised when he signed his new $150 million contract. He’s under much more scrutiny and I feel this is a Super Bowl or bust year for the Falcons.
We have 15 more games left so I do not want to overreact after week 1.
The NFC South looks like it will be the most competitive division in the league again. I believe if one of the teams can get home field advantage in the playoffs they will get to the Super Bowl.
NFL Nostradamus
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It’s that time of year again where men retreat to their man caves and marriages get put on hold for football season.
College football kicked off in force this past weekend and now the NFL kicks this week.
My fantasy team is set with Aaron Rogers as my QB and Julio Jones is my top WR. I should be in contention for my 4th Brunswick Fat Boys League Championship. Did I mention that I have won my fantasy league three times in its’ 12-year existence?
The Atlanta Falcons are poised to have the best offense in the NFL. Can Matt Ryan get back to MVP form? Is Julio about to become the NFL’s first $200 million man? If the Falcons play enough defense they may capture the AFC South.
My NFL Predictions.
AFC East:
New England: This division is garbage and Brady even at 41 years of age will lead the Patriots to another AFC East title
Miami: QB is an issue in Miami. Decent defense, but can they score points?
NY Jets: Rookie Sam Darnold will be the youngest QB in the NFL.
Buffalo: From playoffs to the cellar in 12 months.
AFC North:
Pittsburgh: Big Ben’s last chance?
Baltimore: QB controversy may be brewing in Baltimore.
Cincinnati: I hope AJ Green gets traded to a winner before his skills start to deteriorate
Cleveland: Hue Jackson needs to go. Baker Mayfield will find out quickly that the Big 12 was like playing recreation ball in Glynn County.
AFC South:
Jacksonville: This team is a Super Bowl contender. Can you know who not mess it up?
Houston: How do Watson and Watt bounce back from injuries?
Tennessee: Could Colin Kaepernick help the Titans at QB?
Indianapolis: All this team has is Andrew Luck and he is coming off a shoulder injury.
AFC West:
San Diego Chargers: I’m not calling them Los Angeles. Philip Rivers and a very good defense.
KC: Andy Reid teams are always in contention.
Denver: Will get Broncos get good enough QB play to make playoffs?
Oakland: You pay a coach $100 million who won a SB with Tony Dungy’s players and you can’t find money to pay Khalil Mack? Really Oakland?
Playoffs: Jaguars, Steelers, Patriots, Chargers, Ravens, Chiefs
AFC Champ: Jaguars
NFC East:
Philadelphia: The champs need Carson Wentz back healthy because Nick Foles is like fool’s gold.
Dallas: if Zeke stays healthy the Cowboys will push the Eagles.
NY Giants: This team is in rebuild mode
Washington: I don’t think the Redskins are very good.
NFC North:
Minnesota: Vikings have a better defense than Green Bay.
Green Bay: Aaron Rogers is the best QB in football.
Detroit: Where is the pass rush? Will contend for a wild card.
Chicago: The pieces are being put into place for 2019 and beyond.
NFC South:
New Orleans: The Saints have the most overall talent in the NFC and they have Drew Brees.
Atlanta: Falcons will make playoffs as a wild card.
Carolina: Can they protect Cam in 2018?
Tampa Bay: Could start 0-3 without Jameis, and not get much better when he returns.
NFC West:
Los Angeles: The Rams are a Super Bowl contender
Seattle: Big drop from Rams to Seahawks.
San Francisco: I’m not drinking the 49er Kool-Aid.
Arizona: Long season in the desert.
Playoffs: Eagles, Vikings, Saints, Rams, Packers, Falcons.
NFC Champ: Saints
Super Bowl: New Orleans vs. Jacksonville
Super Bowl Champ: Jacksonville Jaguars
Rising Up?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Super Bowl LIII is going to be held in Atlanta February 3, 2019. I have to wonder if the Atlanta Falcons can be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium?
The Falcons have some key pieces in place like quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan signed a five-year, $150 million contract making him the highest paid player in the league. I’m a fan of Matty Ice but it’s going to be tough for him to live up to that contract.
Expectations were raised since he is now paid more than Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and any other QB that won a ring.
Ryan was league MVP in 2016 and led the team to Super Bowl LI. Last year under new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian there were some growing pains.
He threw for 4,095 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 65% of his passes. The numbers are not bad but they are all worse than 2016. Under his second year with Sark he should improve.
We all know Julio Jones is the best receiver in the NFL and he looks to have another big year. Jones had 1,444 yards last season but only 3 TD’s. I know he plans on getting into the end zone more in 2018. Mohamed Sanu had 5 touchdowns so he scored more than Jones and added 703 yards.
They also drafted Calvin Ridley in the first round to form possibly the best receiving corps in the league. Defenses will not be able to double Julio anymore.
The offense also features two versatile backs, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. The pair combined for 1,493 yards rushing and 63 receptions for 616 yards. Atlanta should be a top five offense this season.
The defense ranked 9th in total defense in 2017, giving up 318 yards per game. That was a drastic improvement.
Vic Beasley Jr. led the league in sacks in 2016 with 15.5. He only had 5 in 2017. Defensive end Takk McKinley had 6 sacks as a rookie. If he progresses as expected they should wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
The secondary is led by safety Keanu Neal and cornerback Desmond Trufant. The weak unit on defense is the linebackers. Duke Riley needs to improve in his second year. Riley missed 8 of 31 tackle attempts, the worst rate for any linebacker in the NFL.
An indoor team like Atlanta needs home field advantage in the playoffs. They will struggle playing outside in cold weather in January.
The schedule looks tough at first glance. The NFC South sent three teams to the playoffs last year. The games against New Orleans and Carolina will be difficult. Even Tampa Bay plays well against the Falcons.
The season begins on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. That is where the season ended with a playoff loss. Atlanta is matched up with the NFC East and AFC North.
The rest of the NFC East teams like Washington, Dallas and New York present a challenge. The Giants drafted running back Saquan Barkley and they have Odell Beckham Jr. as a weapon on the outside.
Dallas will have Ezekiel Elliott at their disposal this year and they have a great offensive line.
The only tough team in the NFC North is Pittsburgh. Cleveland looks to be much better on paper but we will have to see if it materializes.
Another noteworthy game is Week 14 at Green Bay. The Packers are expected to be very good.
The Falcons have the chance to make history but it won’t be easy.
Just Kickin’ It
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If defense wins championships and offense puts butts in the seats, what does special teams do?
Oftentimes the difference in winning and losing isn’t all that exciting. It could be your team showing discipline and not shooting themselves in the foot with stupid penalties. Or maybe it’s just being “fundamentally sound”; a coach’s favorite catchphrase.
More times than not it’s the difference between the place kicker consistently connecting on a 45-yard field goal and kicking like how your uncle throws darts, five beers into a six pack.
For the past nine years that’s an area fans of the Atlanta Falcons haven’t had to worry about, thanks to Matt Bryant.
Now, before I go on I completely understand that reading about the accomplishments of a kicker isn’t nearly as engaging as reading about Matt Ryan or Julio Jones but that doesn’t mean his contributions aren’t valuable.
In Bryant’s case, he has played a huge part in Atlanta’s success and basically been about as good, if not better, at his position than anyone else on the team.
Excluding the 2009 season when Bryant was brought in to replace Jason Elam over the last five games, he has converted just under 89% of his field goal attempts since joining the Falcons.
I feel pretty confident saying that if you were told at the beginning of the season your place kicker was guaranteed to hit 90% of their field goal attempts you’d take it and not think twice.
Plus, he’s only failed to convert on one extra point attempt, out of 330, over that same time frame.
Normally I wouldn’t put too much stock into extra points but since the NFL moved the distance back on those attempts in 2015, Bryant’s numbers are pretty impressive.
He signed a three-year extension this offseason and based on the last few years, even at the age of 43, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
In 2016, arguably the best year of Bryant’s career, he led the NFL in scoring, received his first Pro Bowl invite and surpassed Morten Andersen as the Falcons all-time leading scorer.
Place Kickers are kind of viewed like children were a hundred years ago; they are to be seen, but not heard. If they’re doing their job they go largely unnoticed, except for game winning field goals.
If they’re not, they suddenly become the “drunk, idiot kicker” whose position needs to be eliminated because they’re ruining the game.
Over the course of the upcoming season most of the success, or failure, will be placed on the shoulders of guys like Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, and Vic Beasley. And don’t get me wrong, that’s the way it should be; those guys are more instrumental in a team’s success than a punter or place kicker.
Panic Button?
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Don’t panic.
The Falcons dropped to 0-3 in preseason games on Saturday with a 17-6 loss to Jacksonville, but that is no cause for concern for the Atlanta faithful.
After all, the Falcons themselves do not seem to be taking the entire notion of winning preseason games very seriously anyway. If you need proof, note who started the game against the Jaguars and who did not. Atlanta sat seven of their key starters.
That is not the kind of team that seems concerned about wins and losses as they are about working on specific needs and figuring out who will come out on top of positional battles prior to the first game of the regular season.
Yes, the result was a pretty ugly display against Jacksonville, despite Falcons fans hoping that Matt Ryan would shut down and shut up Jalen Ramsey after Ramsey call the star QB “overrated.”
Atlanta’s efforts against Jacksonville’s defense proved to be futile but it is worth mentioning that the Jags fielded their starters. Jacksonville adapted quickly and pressured the Falcons’ offense in a way that prevented the Dirty Birds from adjusting.
Atlanta only managed 261 total yards during the game and their rushing yards were abysmal, the majority coming from a big Tevin Coleman run.
Take that out of the equation and the Falcons only picked up 48. Overall the team only moved the ball an average of 4.7 yards per play. For good measure, Matt Ryan was also sacked three times. It was ugly.
But it’s okay.
Did you see Julio Jones on the field? Devonta Freeman? No, you did not. They haven’t lined up for a single snap during the first three preseason games and word is they may not see the field for the last tune up before the season starts either.
They don’t need to and Dan Quinn isn’t concerned about wins. So, the offense looked like a mess but they were missing two of the most dynamic pieces – just like for those first two losses.
Looking back on the games against the Jets and Chiefs, it’s more proof in the pudding.
In the game against New York, Atlanta’s starting defense made what amounted to a cameo appearance, disappearing quickly after just a handful of snaps.
The Falcons lost that game, of course, but what’s important is that when the team’s actual defense left the game, the Jets hadn’t put a single point on the board.
The players that ended up losing that game, to New York’s starters, are not going to be making an on-field impact during the regular season.
This kind of thing is par for the course for Dan Quinn and the Atlanta Falcons. Quinn likes to run prospects out during preseason and the results are what you would expect.
There are plenty of reasons for it. Julio Jones doesn’t need to prove anything, for example and it isn’t hard to imagine that Freeman’s preseason concussion from a few years back is a factor in the decision making. Why risk injury to your impact players when the wins and losses don’t matter?
It is also worth pointing out that last year the Falcons laid an egg in the preseason, going 0-4 and everything turned out fine to the tune of a 10-6 season and a playoff run.
There is always a sense of disappointment in a poor preseason showing. They are the first competitive football games since the Superbowl in the winter, after all.
However, the record isn’t the result that matters. This Falcons team is shaping up to potentially be a dominant force in the NFC, 0-4 or otherwise.
So, don’t panic.
Renaissance Man
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In the midst of our fandom it’s easy to look at the team name on the front of the jersey, and not the player name on the back.
No matter your feelings towards the Carolina Panthers, it’s hard not admire their current linebacker and former Georgia All-American, Thomas Davis. (I realize Davis will serve a four-game suspension to start the season due to testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, so I understand if that changes your opinion of him. Personally, while it certainly factors in, I view it as merely a footnote as opposed to the main story.)
Normally, when a player like Davis is about to retire- he announced months ago this would be his final season- unless that athlete was a complete malcontent, most of the focus is aimed towards any accomplishments he or she received on the field.
A Super Bowl appearance, 3 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro team, and one 2nd team All-Pro tends to lend itself to pats on the back. I’m not quite sure if Davis is Hall of Fame worthy, but you could make an argument in his favor. However, in this particular case his on-field achievements are merely an opening act to a much larger headliner.
For starters, and it has been well documented, are Davis’ return from three ACL tears.
Sports has a history riddled with athletes that couldn’t get over the mental and physical hurdle of one ACL year, let alone three.
Not only did Davis return but he came back better than he was before; all those accolades I just mentioned above, they after took place after those three surgeries.
I’m so mentally fragile, I came across a copperhead walking my dogs the other day and now I’m trying to teach them to use a toilet so I don’t have to take them outside. If I tore my ACL once I just render that leg useless for the rest of my life.
Now the one piece of recognition I didn’t mention and the second piece of Davis’ legacy that will be remembered is his philanthropy.
In 2014 he was awarded the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, given to a player based on his volunteer and charity work.
There have been numerous instances of Davis’ charitable work around the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area, as well as his hometown of Randolph County. None have been more influential though than his Defending Dreams Foundation.
Through his foundation Thomas has spent an immeasurable amount of time and money giving the youth in his community opportunities they would otherwise never be afforded. As someone who has friends and family in the Charlotte area, the name “Thomas Davis” has become synonymous with giving.
There are better and more athletic players that have come out of the Georgia football program but I’m not sure there has been a more successful one, considering all the different phases of life.
As Davis enters his final season it will be easy to get caught up in his suspension, after all we are a country that seems to feed off negativity. My suggestion though would be to focus on what he has overcome and how incredible it has been for him to actually achieve what he has.
Once the season ends though, there really will be only one question on my mind- “How does Thomas Davis feel about copperheads?” The potty training hasn’t gone according to plan and my dogs really need to go outside.
Jones About The Benjamins
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If you ask a team what is the one thing that can derail a promising season, aside from injuries, it would be distractions.
Whether or not those distractions have any influence on the outcome of season, probably depends on who you ask. Depending on how the next few weeks play out which Julio Jones and his desire to renegotiate/restructure his contract, the Falcons may find out about soon enough.
Normally I’m all for a player getting as much as money as he or she can. Even though as fans we love the idea of loyalty, from both player and organization, professional sports are all about the bottom line. I don’t begrudge anyone trying to make as much as they can, while they can.
So, while I fully respect Jones’ decision and understand where he’s coming from, it’s just a little hard to get on board with the timing of it all.
When Julio signed his current 5-year deal, two years ago, he was the highest paid wideout in the NFL. He’s currently the 7th highest paid wideout and you could argue that he’s better than all the players making more than him, AJ Green being the one possible exception.
With the way NFL contracts are set up, in order for Jones to get as much guaranteed money as he can, he’s got to sign for an extended period. Essentially, he’s sacrificing prime market value down the road for the upfront cash. Regardless of how you or I feel towards football contracts, that’s just the way it is.
There are two main reasons I have an issue with timing of it. For one, he still has three years left on his contract. When most contracts are signed, depending on the player, management almost figures in that with a year or two left they are going to have to renegotiate.
Acquiescing to Jones’ request with more than half his contract still on the books, could have a rippling effect on other players Atlanta has intentions on extending down the road.
The second reason is I’m not sure his last two seasons have really warranted a renegotiation. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely think Jones is one of the 3-4 best receivers in the league but he is coming off his two least productive seasons, back to back, since his first two years in the league. (I’m excluding the 2013 season when he was injured and only played in 5 games.)
Normally when you see a player wanting to revisit his contract it’s because he has outperformed his current salary; kind of hard to make that argument in this situation.
Trust me, I’d love nothing more than to have two years of subpar reviews at work, only to get a larger pay raise. It just doesn’t normally happen that way.
And I get that his dip in production isn’t solely on Jones’ shoulders; Atlanta’s offense as a whole struggled last year adjusting to Steve Sarkisian’s play calling. But having a solid season this year, proving that 2017 was more of anomaly, would only strengthen Julio’s case in asking for more money.
At this point it doesn’t look like the Falcons are going to bend and I can’t really blame them.
I suspect that at some point Jones will be back on the field with an understanding they’ll address his contract after the season. If he doesn’t, you probably won’t even have to ask how the distraction affected Atlanta’s season; I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to tell.
Falcons To Soar
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The only team from the NFC South that has made the playoffs the last two seasons, the Falcons are locked and loaded to make another run at that elusive Super Bowl victory.
They will face plenty of challenges from the rest of the improved division but they have the tools to be a force in 2018.
They have some questions as well. With training camp rapidly approaching, let’s take a look at where the Falcons stand now.
First off, the biggest news of the offseason was Matt Ryan’s massive contract extension. Matty Ice inked the richest contract in the history of the NFL to the tune of $150 million. That kind of contract tends to come with an added level of pressure.
However, as his nickname suggests, Ryan will likely be able to go about his business without it weighing too heavily on him. He’s still the elite quarterback the Falcons need to lead their charge.
On less sturdy ground at the moment is Julio Jones. He has been a no-show at all of Atlanta’s offseason preparation events so far in 2018, due to an ongoing contract dispute.
While there is no real reason to doubt that this will be an issue that blows up to the point that Jones ends up in a different jersey, there might be cause for concern with all the time he’s missing.
He may be the best wide receiver in the NFL right now but he also had a year in which he only scored three times and that was after missing significant offseason time with an injury.
A player of his caliber might not necessarily need the practice reps to be good to go for the season but you have to wonder how well he’ll be used if he’s not around to train.
From that we come to Steve Sarkisian. Sark was the scapegoat for a lot of people who saw the Falcons underperform the year after a Super Bowl appearance and it is certainly true that the record-breaking 2016 offense took a step backward.
Despite a lot of noise calling for his head, Sark is going to get another chance to move the stellar offensive pieces he has at his disposal into position in which they can win.
Coaches, and especially offensive coordinators, can get too much blame when things go badly and too much praise when things go well. Sark has got too much talent on his hands to not be overly praised for their success in 2018.
Something to keep an eye on at training camp and the season draw closer is the health of Devonta Freeman. Two concussions and an injury to his knee took their toll on him last season and to put a cherry on top he tore his MCL and PCL in the last game before going into the playoffs.
All signs point to him healing quickly and being ready for the start of the season but having such an injury-plagued campaign in 2017 is concerning and something to be monitored.
On the other side of the ball, drafting Calvin Ridley did not shore up the defense, and the lack of depth at linebacker is still a concern.
De’Vondre Campbell and Deion Jones are a strong duo but beyond the two of them are question marks on question marks.
Duke Riley will likely start the season’s early games and he showed last year that he was still a work in progress.
The defensive side of the Falcons’ game as been a concern for a while now and while the offense can shoulder a lot, the issues of stopping the other teams will likely continue.
There is plenty to be excited about as the end of July nears, especially for a Falcons team that expects and should be expected to make the playoffs a third consecutive time.
