Raining on the Saints Parade

2009 was the year of optimism for the Falcons but unfortunately hell froze over and the Saints won the Super Bowl. One doesn’t have to look far to see why the Falcons did not make the playoffs. Any team in the NFL who has their starting quarterback and running back go down is going to struggle against the level of talent in the NFC. So if you’re like me, you want to know why this year will be different and why the Falcons are going to defeat the reigning super bowl champs. Beating the Saints is the key to success for the Falcons this year. The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through New Orleans.

This year, the media darling Saints will lose two important games; both to the Falcons. Why? Because the Falcons will look to avoid the injury bug and remain healthy throughout 2010. But will this be enough? Most fans would like to believe so. The reality is the Falcons were ranked 26th in sacks and had a defense that was shredded by the passing game. The good news is that the Falcons have been blessed with arguably the best GM in the league and coaches who know how to handle young players. Look for the Falcons to address the defensive needs through the draft and sure up the linebacker spot with Weatherspoon out of Missouri. Bringing in a player like Weatherspoon will add a solid linebacker who can play the run and bring pressure on the quarterback. This will be an important key to defeating the Saints.

To beat the Saints, you have to be able to score and score often and the Falcons have the ability to do this. With Ryan and Turner coming back healthy, scoring should not be an issue. If Ryan can continue to develop his ability to mislead defenders, then look for the Falcons to put up 30 plus points against the Saints. The Falcons would also be wise to draft another aggressive offensive lineman to go with the big uglies currently holding it down in the trenches. Michael Moore has the Falcons drafting Maurkice Pouncey in the first round. Pouncey is a 6’4 304 pound center out of Florida. He can play both center and guard and has the nastiness you want to see in an offensive lineman. Personally, I see the Falcons taking Weatherspoon with their first pick but Pouncey would also add much needed depth to the center position. Realistically, look for the Falcons to wait until the 4th or 5th round to address the offensive line.

When taking a hard look at the 2010 season one can see why the draft is so important. I will end on this: fans have faith, this year’s draft will sure up the needs on defense and the offense will come back stronger than ever, translating into wins over the Saints.

So what say you Falcon fan’s?  Do the Falcons go 2-0 against the Saints? Let me hear your comments. Look for my blog entries every Friday here at bloggingdirty.com