5 Surprising observations from Atlanta Falcons 2022 season
By Nick Halden
2. Atlanta far outperformed pre-season expectations
Two things can be true, Atlanta didn’t take advantage of their opportunities this season while still far outperforming what was expected of the team. Atlanta was supposed to be in the position Chicago or Houston is in with a top-two pick and debating what exactly their future looks like at nearly every position.
Instead, Arthur Smith had this team ready to play every week, and often despite being unable to count on their quarterback, this team found a way to make games close that they were far outmatched in. Perhaps the best example of this is their win against a great San Francisco team that is arguably the best complete team in the NFC heading into the playoffs.
Smith yet again had a bad roster fighting nearly every week in close games against better rosters and usually far superior quarterbacks. If there is a lasting impression when it comes to this season it should be Arthur Smith’s coaching ability to get the most out of what objectively has been two very bad rosters over the last two years.