Atlanta Falcons: Four positives from brutal week one loss

Despite an excruciating loss, there are still positives to take away from week one for the Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons blew it against the New Orleans Saints, there is no way around it. It was a bad look for a team that thought they were over the late-game collapses, and then the concerning press conference by head coach Arthur Smith did not help either.

However, the majority of fans are able to recognize that the Falcons looked extremely good for the majority of the game. It really was the best we have seen this team play in at least four years.

The Falcons’ offense was knocking players backward, while the defense made the Saints’ offensive line look like a bunch of sandbags on the field.

It was truly fun to watch up until the fourth quarter, especially considering the opponent, but it also made the loss hurt that much more.

We were able to see what this team is capable of. It wasn’t a fluke either, they simply were the better team for much of the game. They had the Saints looking lost and confused.

Here are the three positive takeaways from the first of 17 games for the Atlanta Falcons.

The Atlanta Falcons’ offensive line looked vastly improved from last season

The Atlanta Falcons offensive line was every bit as good in week one as they were bad in 2021.

It was a ton of fun to watch the Falcons finally move people up front in the passing game and the running game. They also did it against a pretty good defensive line that tore this team apart last year in both games.

Having Marcus Mariota’s legs certainly helped but it should not take away anything from the performance that the five big guys had. Jake Matthews was his usual self, Elijah Wilkinson and Drew Dalman were solid, Chris Lindstrom was a dominant run blocker, and Kaleb McGary, most surprisingly, was pretty good as a pass blocker.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Atlanta Falcons offensive line gave up just two hurries on 39 pass-blocking snaps. The two offensive tackles gave up one each and that was all for the entire group. If they can play like that then this team will be head and shoulders better this year.

It was even more obvious how great they were in run blocking as Cordarrelle Patterson was running through giant gaps.

If there is one complaint, it is that the five of them combined for five penalties, two were accepted. That must be cleaned up.

Grady Jarrett looks capable of carrying this Atlanta Falcons defensive line

You know the pressure that the Atlanta Falcons defense put on Jameis Winston on Sunday, but what you probably didn’t know is that most of that pressure can be attributed to one man, Grady Jarrett.

Grady absolutely took it to the Saints’ offensive line, not only on the inside but the outside as well.

Of course, he had the one-and-a-half sacks that show up on the stat sheet but his impact extends well beyond that. He caused all sorts of errors for the opposing blockers and nothing showed that more than when Mykal Walker sacked Winston on the Saints’ first drive of the second half.

Watch the left guard, he was so focused on helping the center with Grady that he did not even lift an eye, and as a result, Mykal Walker came in untouched to take down the quarterback. Just Grady’s presence scared Andrus Peat so bad that he didn’t notice a guy standing three yards in front of him.

We haven’t even mentioned his run defense which might have been even better than his pass rushing.

It is a welcomed sight for anyone after a down year from the veteran defensive tackle. It seems like he is back and better than ever.

The Atlanta Falcons have two physical offensive players to rely on in 2022

Something that has been overlooked for the Atlanta Falcons in their first game was how physical Drake London and especially Cordarrelle Patterson were on offense.

Starting with Cordarrelle Patterson, he seriously looked better than ever against the Saints. There were countless plays where he lowered his shoulder on defenders. In fact, there were two plays where he knocked Tyrann Mathieu to the ground, he knew it too as he got up and celebrated.

He was certainly physical last season, but this seemed different. It felt like he was seeking out defenders to show them how powerful he is, it was a thing of beauty, His rushing touchdown was also another example. He hit Pete Werner so hard that he had to get medical attention for a big cut on his forehead.

Drake London also showed some similar power, most notably when he caught a pass right before halftime to get Atlanta into field goal range. He finished the catch by knocking off the helmet of Bradley Roby.

This is how you want an offense to play and if they can continue this then defenders will think twice about going head-on with these playmakers.

Dean Pees looks capable of leading a solid defense for the Atlanta Falcons

It might be surprising to see Dean Pees’ name on here considering how the game ended but he seems capable of leading an overachieving Atlanta Falcons defense.

It was a big question going into the season, could Dean Pees really cover up for the lack of talent on this defense?

Early signs are a definite ‘yes.’ Sure, he might have been to blame for the collapse in the fourth quarter because he played conservatively but that should not overshadow the fact that his defense absolutely punched the Saints offense in the mouth for three-plus quarters.

Look at the energy they were playing with, it was obvious that they had a level of confidence that they did not have last year. It mirrored everything that they were saying during the off-season.

The pass rush was getting home, the linebackers were physical, and the secondary forced numerous incompletions.

However, hopefully, Dean Pees and the team learned something from this game and won’t let it happen again. This team showed they are capable of more than most expected, time to go finish things.