Atlanta Falcons: Despite loss to Saints, plenty of positives
The Atlanta Falcons ended the season with a tough loss to the New Orleans Saints.
It was a cruel way to end the season for the Atlanta Falcons, as a walk-off Kai Forbarth field goal secured a season sweep for the New Orleans Saints. The Falcons finish the season 8-8, which can be considered a positive in Dan Quinn’s first season.
In what was quite an entertaining game, the Saints came up with the game-winning kick as time expired. The Saints finish the season 7-9.
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Overall, this can be seen as a positive season for the Falcons. Dan Quinn inherited a 6-10 team and improved the win record by two. Yes, it was disappointing to drop to 8-8 after a 5-0 start, but if you jumble up the schedule, it evens out as a step in the right direction.
The defense was much improved this year, after ranking 32nd last term. Quinn will get some more talent in the offseason via free agency and the draft to help continue the rebuild next year. The defense improved this season despite many deficiencies at certain positions.
Another positive is the improved ground game. Devonta Freeman finished the season with 1,061 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He will be a third-year player next season and should continue to improve. Rookie Tevin Coleman has plenty to work on, but he showed flashes of potential and will return as a better player in 2016.
Getting swept by the Saints stings, but hey, the Falcons get a better draft pick now.
Although the second half of the season was disappointing, the overall picture is bright. The Falcons avoided a losing season for the first time since 2012. The future is bright.