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Atlanta Falcons: Ranked number one by ESPN in Power Rankings

By Randy Gurzi

HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons stands on the sideline in the first half against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons stands on the sideline in the first half against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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ESPN issued their latest NFL Power Rankings and they were especially high on the Atlanta Falcons as they placed them at number one overall heading into 2017

Everyone knows the Atlanta Falcons had every opportunity to go down as the best team in the NFL in 2016. They won the NFC South and had a commanding lead in the Super Bowl. Then they fell apart and let the New England Patriots back into the game.

Again, they found a way to still come out of this game and prove they were the best. Quarterback Matt Ryan hit wide receiver Julio Jones on a beautiful pass and catch which put them in field goal range to potentially ice the game. That’s when former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan got cute and kept passing.

We all know what happened next as the Falcons lost yards and eventually the game as well. Despite that let down, ESPN and Pro Football Focus are still very impressed with the roster the Falcons have. Using individual player grades — courtesy of PFF — the folks at ESPN have released their latest NFL Power Rankings (Insider subscription needed).

"“With the 2017 NFL season looming, it’s time to dive into the Pro Football Focus database and rank every roster as it stands now, focusing in particular on how the expected starters stack up in our metrics. PFF grades every player on every play of every game of the NFL and FBS seasons.” — ESPN/Pro Football Focus Rankings"

With these player grades, the Falcons found themselves standing atop the rankings as ESPN called them the number one franchise heading into the 2017 season.

It really isn’t surprising as Atlanta is returning the majority of the roster, including 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan. They also added some talent in former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe and rookie defensive end Takkarist McKinley.

Must Read: Atlanta Falcons: Three potential training camp stars

As fun as rankings are, they really mean very little. The Falcons could be ranked atop this list all season long, but the players and fans want more. They want to finish what they started in 2016.

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