Atlanta Falcons News: Championship window closed in 2012
As we approach another Super Bowl without the Atlanta Falcons, the question we all have to ponder is a simple one – has the championship window for the Falcons closed?
This question is one that everyone within the Atlanta Falcons front office has to ask themselves in order to make moves to get back into a championship window or make moves to solidify.
From an outsider of the front office perspective, as long as Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are still playing at their elite levels, the Falcons have a chance to win a championship. As we all know, there have to be other important areas to address like the offensive and defensive lines, but Matt and Julio will give them a fighting chance.
Look at the Falcons last seven seasons from a holistic approach. Four losing seasons, one season at .500 and two winning seasons. The Super Bowl run of 2016 looks more and more like an anomaly rather than a championship window.
During the last seven seasons, Matt Ryan has averaged 4,604 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during this time frame. The most telling stat is this one though, no team has ever made it to the Super Bowl when attempting 600 or more passes in a season. The only two seasons Matt did not attempt at least 600 passes – 2016 & 2017, the years that the Falcons made the playoffs.
The more you think about the honest answer to this question, the more you realize that another question has to be answered first and that is ‘were the Falcons ever in a championship window?’
After taking a look at all the numbers and data, it is safe to say that the Falcons initial championship window closed after 2012, has not been a serious championship contender since. If the Falcons are going to open their window back up, Thomas Dimitroff must address some serious deficiencies on both sides of the ball.
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The 49ers and Chiefs are proof that with the right draft picks and proper coaching that a team can open their championship windows back up quickly. With the structure of the NFL, any team that can find the right balance of talent, coaching, and analytics they can lift a Lombardi Trophy.
The Falcons have the firepower to win a title but must find all the necessary ancillary pieces to