Atlanta Falcons: Are they the most complete team in the NFC?
Oct 11, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) runs in the third quarter of their game against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 25-19 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Falcons are off to a history start in 2015. The Falcons have won their first five games to start the season for the second time in franchise history and have yet to click on all cylinders.
The Falcons’ teams in recent years have been unable to run the ball effectively. The team has ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing yards per game, but not in 2015. The Falcons rank sixth in the NFL in rushing yards with 630 and a player by the name of Devonta Freeman is the reason why.
Freeman burst out onto the scene three weeks ago after an injury to rookie running back Tevin Coleman and hasn’t looked back since. Freeman is tied for second in the NFL in rushing yards with 405 and leads all players in rushing touchdowns with eight.
Freeman has set multiple records over the course of his 3-game stretch and is sure to have many more ahead of him.
As far as the Falcons’ passing attack, the team ranks sixth in the league with 1,401. With these two categories combined, the Falcons rank second in the NFL in total yards with 2,031.
Not only are the Falcons racking up a lot of yards, they are scoring a lot of points as well. The Falcons rank third in the NFL in points per game with an average of 32.4.
A lot of the Falcons’ success needs to be credited to a much improved offensive line. Atlanta ranks third in the NFL in pressured drop-backs at just 18%. This meaning Ryan doesn’t get sacked nearly as much as he would have in recent years.
The offensive line has been able to open gaping holes for Freeman to run through and have done a great job of protecting Ryan. A clean pocket for this offense is a recipe for success. When Ryan has time to throw, this offense is nearly unstoppable.
Do the Falcons have the most complete offense in the NFC? The stats say yes. Let’s move on to the defense.