Reaction to the last batch of Atlanta Falcons All-Decade Team selections

Earlier this week, the Atlanta Falcons announced the offensive selections for the All-Decade Team, honoring the best of the best from 2010-2019.

The previous decade saw the offense of the Atlanta Falcons transition from a run-heavy style that was seen throughout the 2000s, to a pass-heavy style. Matt Ryan morphed into one of the best quarterbacks in the league, winning the NFL MVP in 2016, racking up four pro bowl nominations, and consistently put up great numbers, regardless of the revolving door of offensive coordinators. Ryan didn’t do it alone, however.

The offense as a whole saw many great seasons where the production from almost every position was at a high level. There were a couple of seasons where the offense was not performing where it should, mostly in part due to bad play calling, but overall, the decade saw an offensive resurgence because of the men that made the All-Decade list.

The selection at quarterback is quite obvious, Matt Ryan. Not a single person wasn’t expecting this and Ryan is arguably the most deserving of all to be honored. At running back, the honor went to Michael “The Burner” Turner. As a huge fan of Turner growing up, this selection makes me very happy. Turner was the workhorse of this team and was a big reason why the offense was so good from 2008-2012. Devonta Freeman, while not selected at the running back position, was honored at the flex position.

At wide receiver, the honor went to Julio Jones and Roddy White. We all saw this coming as well. Both men are irreplaceable and had a massive impact on how the offense functioned. Without White and Jones, there is no telling where this team would’ve gone. Ryan is great and has a knack for elevating the play of those around him, but it is hard to imagine what this offense would have looked like without White and Jones.

Tony Gonzalez and Patrick DiMarco were both selected to the team for their contributions. Obviously, Gonzalez is one of, if not the greatest tight end of all time, and was a pivotal part of the offense during his time as a Falcon.

The unsung Atlanta Falcons

DiMarco being honored is well deserved considering what he brought to the table during his time here, and the fact that the Atlanta Falcons have not been able to find a guy even close to his talent level at the fullback position since says a lot about what DiMarco meant to the team while he was here. Along the offensive line, the guys that were honored include Alex Mack, Andy Levitre, Justin Blalock, Jake Matthews, and Tyson Clabo.

It is hard to argue against any of these selections because each one of these men deserves to be honored for what they contributed to the team. It was the most successful decade of Atlanta Falcons football by far and the offense is a huge reason why.

I have no complaints with these selections and that goes to show just how many great players came along last decade when guys like Chris Chester, Tevin Coleman, Austin Hooper, and Mohamed Sanu are not selected to the team.

It was truly a great decade filled with ups, downs, happiness, sadness, and everything in between. It was a truly great decade to be a fan of the Atlanta Falcons, regardless of the memes, and one can only hope that 2020-2029 will be an even more successful decade that will finally bring home a Super Bowl to the city and its fans.