2016 Atlanta Falcons: Why they are Super Bowl Contenders
By Matt Karoly
Conclusion
It is important to keep in mind that 2015 was the first year of a completely new coaching staff. Fans may have gotten spoiled from the old regime who took the team to the playoffs in their inaugural season, but it doesn’t always work that way. The early season cake walk schedule of a year ago clouded the vision of fans and analysts alike.
The offense, especially Matt Ryan, needed a second year in the system to become more comfortable. Kyle Shanahan also needed a year to familiarize himself with the Falcons personnel and know how to best feature his weapons.
Adding complementary pieces like Mohamed Sanu, Aldrick Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Austin Hooper have transformed this offense into a pick your poison dilemma for opposing defenses. While Julio Jones certainly proved he can still dominate a game if you let him, this 2016 bunch operates best when all hands are on deck.
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The offensive line of 2015 was running with a career backup guard at its most important position. The Falcons front office corrected that in year two by bringing aboard All-Pro center Alex Mack. With Mack at the helm, Matt Ryan now has a clean pocket to step up in and running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman have huge holes to run through before even sniffing an incoming tackler.
Yes, the defense is still a work in progress. But the most glaring weakness that has troubled this unit since the Jim Mora days — the pass rush — has finally come to life.
The most encouraging aspect of this revelation may be that Vic Beasley has finally figured the professional game out. Beasley entered last Sunday’s game against the Broncos with 5 career sacks in 20 career games. He walked out with 8.5 after the day was over.
A pessimist would argue that Vic lined up against an injury plagued, inferior linemen in Ty Sambrailo. But this wasn’t the first time the Falcons second year pass rusher faced off against an opponent he is clearly better than. But the fact of the matter is he didn’t dominate those types of linemen until last week. This should give Falcon fans immense joy going forward that their prized pass rusher has finally figured it out.
Lastly, the 2016 Falcons are no longer shooting themselves in the foot with inopportune turnovers. Snap incompetent center Mike Person has been replaced by Alex Mack and Matt Ryan has eliminated the red zone turnovers that ailed him a year ago.
The 2016 Falcons have morphed into a team with a multitude of weapons on offense supported by a strong offensive line. Their defense continues to evolve into the fast and physical bunch that Dan Quinn has sought since he took the Atlanta job. And the team as a whole has valued the ball more than they did a year ago.
The 2016 Atlanta Falcons are built to sustain this success and enter their name into the list of Super Bowl contenders. Don’t expect them to falter like their 2015 selves.