May 29, 2013; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive back Thomas DeCoud (28) stretches during organized team activities at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes on slow news days, I like to break out the hypotheticals.  On top of that, I also like to be a little optimistic.  So let’s look at the best case scenario would be for the Falcons for the rest of the Offseason.

As of right now, there is 87 days, 0 hours, 31 minutes and 33 seconds until the kickoff of the Falcons season.  And there are a lot of things that could happen by then.  But what are the best possible things that could take place, no matter how far of a reach they are?

Defense

The defense, despite how many yards were allowed, was actually pretty good last year in that they only allowed about 18 points per game ranking 4^th in the league.  However, there were still some major concerns about how Atlanta could blow a 17 point lead and miss going to the Super Bowl.  One of those problems was in the pass rush.

What if John Abraham was able to forgive Atlanta for letting him go and resign for a couple million dollars?  He already knows the defense and being a situational pass rusher paired with Osi would make the Defensive end position a lock.

What if Atlanta signed Richard Seymour to a two year deal for only a few million?  In a great rotation, Seymour could stay rested and max out his productivity.  The line would all of a sudden be a non issue.

Mike Nolan and Mike Smith have been in communication with Clemson University trying to figure out the best way to stop the option.  Mike Nolan could get some great ideas while fixing some major schemes.  The first option team that crosses Atlanta’s path could be in for a rude awakening when people like Akeem Dent (who would end up having a breakout season as a major middle linebacker) and Steven Nickolas (Who led the team in tackles last season) was all of a sudden swarming anyone with a ball.

I think the safeties are and Corners are a lock while Robert Alford, Robert McClain, Asante Samuel, and Desmond Trufant rotate in and out to stay as fresh as possible against some major passing threats.

If everything goes well, Atlanta could be a lean, mean, turnover machine.

Offense

I think the players on the offensive side of the ball are all set.  I would love to see Mike Johnson step up and practice catching touchdowns a few times.  Garret Reynolds would be an even bigger improvement than he was the short time he played in 2012, and Peter Konz shows off why many projected him to be the best center in the draft with a season under his belt and back at his most comfortable position.

Matt Ryan works on strength again and finds the ability to throw 60 yards touchdowns while Julio and Roddy drop almost no passes.  Steven Jackson, who is already accredited for having the body of a 22-year-old, proves that there is no age wall with him.  Also Harry Douglas never stutters again.

Overall, the one thing that could really keep the Falcons on top is if this little possibility happened:

NO INJURIES.

I obviously can’t predict zero injuries, every team has them, but if we are talking best case scenarios and being hypothetical, how awesome would this team be if no one ever got hurt?

What are your dream changes for the rest of the offseason?

Oct 14, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Atlanta Falcons offense huddles around quarterback Matt Ryan (2) during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Raiders 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-USA TODAY Sports

First I want to apologize that I had not submitted any writing the last two days, I had some unexpected problems come up that made my access to a computer very limited.

But I wanted to bring up a topic that had been in my mind and I wanted some feedback from you guys.  With an outstanding offense, how important is defense?

Now don’t get me wrong, I would never suggest that you can do anything more than just get by with a bad defense. But in my last post, I pointed out that the Defense really isn’t all that bad.  They are one of the best teams to keep points off the board.  They had problems covering tight ends in the playoffs and had a hard time stopping the run along with the obvious pass rush problem.  However, except for a single game in Carolina, The Falcons actually fared well against rushing quarterbacks.  Michael Vick was a non-threat, Colin Kaepernick barely rushed at all and the only reason he looked any good statistically was the amount of times the tight end was so incredibly open.  Atlanta took Robert Griffin III out of the game, and was able to hold down Russell Wilson.  The defense is not bad, but it could obviously be improved upon and that’s why so much has gone into improving.  But how much better does it need to be to get the Falcons to the Super Bowl?

Matt Ryan had a career year and only shows signs of improvement.  He’s accurate at any point of the field and has a strong arm.  He has two number one receivers in Roddy White and Julio Jones.  He has a Hall of Fame tight end that rocks the red-zone with Tony Gonzalez.  Even Harry Douglas can catch all over the field.  On top of that, he has TWO running backs with great hands.  Steven Jackson will be the check down man along with Jacquizz Rodgers.  But with the Quzz and Jackson running the ball, the running woes the Falcons have faced in the past just won’t really be there, I don’t care how many miles you say Steven Jackson has on his tires.  He will stretch the field and has the ability to run past defenses.

Last year, Julio Jones made the “Pick your poison” argument that there were three great receivers that needed to be double-teamed to be taken out of the game and that that’s just not going to happen.  You can’t cover everyone at once.  Going 13-3 with a playoff win seems to show that argument was a pretty decent one.  But say hypothetically a defense could cover all three at once and still put pressure on Matt Ryan.  Guess who’s open now.  Steven Jackson will be there almost every time for a few yards.  The offense may be unstoppable.  The only thing Atlanta need is a defense that isn’t terrible and they have that with Mike Nolan making calls.  Take out a few risky throws that Matt Ryan makes and I dare you to name a defense that will be able to stop them.

I hate to say it (I actually love it) but I honestly believe the only way to beat the Falcons is to Outscore them while their defense just tries to hold on.  The biggest teams the NFC have a star-studded defense and some offensive weapons, but I don’t think Seattle and San Francisco can outscore Atlanta this year no matter how good their defense is.

Thoughts?

Aug. 24, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan looks on before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta has one of the most underrated defenses in the league.  I seem to use that word a lot when describing this team, but it seems to be a recurring theme.  The two biggest aspects of a defense that is most looked at is the same two stats that ESPN displays on the team sites.  That’s rushing yards per game and passing yards per game.  When looking at those stats, the Falcons defense is far below average.  But as Falcons fans, I’m sure all of us have heard the term “bend but don’t break.”

The Falcons allow around 242.4 passing yards per game last year.  Of course the Falcons did play against some of the best passing teams in the league.  Along with that, the Falcons also played against some of the best running teams and came in 21^st with 123.2 rushing yards per game.  But if those are the only stats you look at, the Falcons have an awful defense.  But what part of a defense wins games? What is the goal of defenses?  To keep the Offense off the scoreboard!  It would be great if they could keep them off the field, but the goal is simply to keep them from scoring.  In that area, the Falcons are 5^th in the league at only 18. 7 points per game while scoring roughly 26.2 points per game.  They ranked 6^th in forcing turnovers with nearly 2 per game.  Atlanta ranks among the top 10 teams in many defensive categories that tell a better story than “Yards per rush/pass.”

The defense is opportunistic; it confuses quarterbacks, and keeps the other team off the board.  Mike Nolan has turned this defense into a force in a single season.  I can only assume he had the most say in the last draft while only drafting two offensive players.  Given another year, they can only get better.  But as long as critics look at yards as the biggest indicator to how a defense performs, Many teams, not only the Falcons, will be left overlooked.