The Atlanta Falcons find their magic every four years

Atlanta Falcons fans often have to sit through years of misery before something good comes our way. We didn’t choose this life, but the lifestyle chose us.

Let’s face it though- the Atlanta Falcons have that four-year magic. While the years in between are the least bit desirable, the wait often pays off. It’s just like the San Francisco Giants and their even-year success.

It all started back in 1998 when the Falcons made their first Super Bowl run. A franchise that, at that time, was 37 years old, appeared in the big game for the first time. Sure, it was a loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos but it was exciting.

The Dirty Bird was brought to life and people started to believe. And then bring in 2002. The legend of Michael Vick was born when he knocked off Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in the playoffs. No small feat.

The Falcons decided to buck that trend and be successful again in 2004 making it all the way to the NFC Championship. The years between then and 2008 were rough, but it gifted us Matt Ryan. That’s a win in 2008. 2012? Back to the NFC Championship. And in 2016? Super Bowl appearance.

Guess what year it is now, 2020. The Falcons have been underwhelming since 2016, which is expected considering their trend. It often takes them a while to string together successful deep playoff runs, why? Good question.

The Falcons have a chance to contend for an NFC crown and perhaps make a deep run in the playoffs. And for this team, and some of its leaders, they may not have another shot in four years. Yes, that includes Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

But after a divisional-round loss and two 7-9 seasons, the Atlanta Falcons should rebound with style this year. The last thing they want to do is start off the new era in the new uniforms with a dud of a season.