Atlanta Falcons ranked eighth in ESPN top offensive triplets list
Only the Pittsburgh Steelers can rival the wide receiver to running back combination of Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. Throw in the quarterback and the Atlanta Falcons are a little lower on the list.
Matt Ryan was never Aaron Rodgers, but his 2015 struggles highlighted more flaws in his game than some realized he had. Despite a disappointing campaign, Ryan remains a quarterback capable of succeeding so long as he has the right supporting cast.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has put together his rankings of each NFL offensive triplet, and he slots the Falcons in at No. 8. The trio of Ryan, Jones and Freeman is indeed one of the best the league has to offer.
Who was above the Falcons?
Top of the list was the Steelers’ trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Behind them was the Patriots’ Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, closely followed by the Packers’ team of Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb.
So far, no complaints.
In at No. 4 is the Panthers with Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart and Greg Olsen. This one is somewhat of a head scratcher for me. Newton and Olsen are deserving of being ranked fourth, but why Stewart is ahead of Kelvin Benjamin is strange.
At No. 5 is the Cardinals’ impressive trio of Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown. David Johnson might feel he deserves to be in there somewhere. Then comes a trio that could compete for a spot atop this list soon, which is the Cowboys’ team of Tony Romo, Ezekiel Elliott and Dez Bryant.
The final spot before the Falcons belongs to the Bengals. Andy Dalton, A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert make up a trio perhaps ranked a little too low.
All in all, the Falcons ranking eighth is a fair ranking. Here’s what Barnwell had to say about Atlanta’s trio:
"“It’s not much of a surprise that Jones, who averaged an absurd 116.9 receiving yards per game, would have produced record-threatening numbers as the primary receiver in a Kyle Shanahan-led offense. And in a way, given what relatively anonymous backs such as Alfred Morris and Arian Foster were able to accomplish after stepping into Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme, it’s not necessarily a surprise that Freeman put together a stretch where he looked like a touchdown machine. He scored 10 times in five games before scoring just once in the ensuing six contests. Instead, the biggest surprise was how uncomfortable Ryan looked; the Falcons will hope that the arrival of Alex Mack to shore up the interior of the offensive line will create more stable pockets for Ryan in 2016.”"
If Ryan can improve his performances from last year and Jones and Freeman can continue to build on their dominant form, this offense has sky high potential.
With better play from Ryan, the Falcons might arguably have the best trio in the league. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.
Next: No more excuses for Falcons, offense
What are your thoughts on the list, Falcons fans?