3 reasons the Falcons are still Super Bowl contenders despite struggles

3. Falcons have a playmaking, talented secondary

Forget what happened in Denver, that was ugly. The Dirty Birds were without four of their top five cornerbacks for all but one drive in that game. There aren't many teams who could overcome something like that.

If they can get healthy on the backend, they can lean on them to do just enough. Jessie Bates, A.J. Terrell, and co. can make one or two game-changing plays to win games, even without a suffocating defense.

Think back to the 2016 Falcons, Dan Quinn's defense wasn't elite but did just enough to help the team win. This secondary in 2024 is way more talented than they were back then.

Also Read: Former Falcons QB begs team to start Michael Penix Jr.

No doubt, Bates has a lot of pressure on him but he has routinely proved he can deliver. He is the best safety in the game for a reason and the Falcons need him to keep the production going.