Atlanta Falcons: Is losing a blessing in disguise?

The Atlanta Falcons are a very good team. No matter what anyone says, this team is a highly consistent. But, unfortunately, it’s the wrong sort of consistency, as they appear only really great at disappointment and showing why they have not moved into being called a Super Bowl contender.

On Sunday, there wasn’t a better sign of what this team has become than in the fourth quarter scamper by Jameis Winston, who in his best Herculean effort, showed the chasm between desire and being immensely talented.

It came with relative ease as the abundantly talented Jameis shrugged off tacklers and showed just why he was the No. 1 pick last spring. The Falcons were in the right position to make the play, but they were greeted by a hill of inadequacy that cast shadows of doubt as they stared at someone who was much more talented. And it is that notion alone that separated them from the joys of victory, and that gap in ability has been the story of this year.

On offense, yes, there are three immensely talented individuals in Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. But when these gladiators are thrown into the lion’s dens week after week by the poor, putrid abilities of those around them, these juggernauts suddenly become the prime rib dinners to the feasting predators and minimize any sort of gap these have over the other teams.

So now, the Falcons are in a difficult conundrum as their season is all but over after another dance with disappointment. Do they try to muster the season, or should they fight for a higher draft pick in next year’s draft?

In sports, “tanking” is never applauded, but it happens. To some it works and to others it doesn’t. It’s a precarious, tight-rope act that only a few can really see to completion because of a demanding fan base that wants a finished product now.

But not even the great gold refiner could make gold from granite which is what the Falcons are as they are devoid of premier talent. The distance between their premier players and the rest of the players on their roster is about the size of the Pacific Ocean, and it must be addressed sooner rather than later.

For the rest of the year, Atlanta fans will continue to hope for a different outcome than what has beset this team for six of the past seven games. But it is obvious the Falcons have not yet arrived with player ability to avoid the disappointments of losing, and a few more losses are never expected, but there is not enough ability to prevent them this year. The best thing for the Falcons may be hoping for a higher caliber player by leapfrogging into the upper selections of this next year’s draft.

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If the Falcons win out, yes, everyone will be excited. But it could be the worst thing to happen because this team needs superb talent. And if they have a winning record at year’s end, that window for selecting the great players in the upcoming draft will be much smaller.

If they were to win more games than losing, their talent-level will be about the same that has donned that Falcons logo. And normally, the superior talent available in drafts from prior years, like Julio Jones or Matt Ryan, are captured within the first 10 picks of every draft.

The “wait and see” approach will no longer work for Atlanta as their backs are against the wall, and they have no more time to wait.

They need great talent, and they should do whatever it takes to grab another gladiator.