Atlanta Falcons Team Stats None Atlanta Falcons Stats
0-0, T-1st NFC South
vs PHI
5:00 pm GMT , 9/12
The Falcons record was a let down, but the offense put up very strong numbers. Matt Ryan posted one of the best years of his career, and it was business as usual for the receiving core. Devonta Freeman struggled with injuries and so did the offensive line. It was not a surprise to see the rushing attack take a major step backwards because of this. On the defensive side it was all about injuries. Seeing major players go down led to Atlanta being one of the poorer defenses in the league. Now if everyone is healthy, there should be a pretty good rebound for this group.
Away Record: 0-0
Conference Record: 0-0
Division Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Dan Quinn
Offensive Coordinator: Dirk Koetter
Defensive Coordinator: Raheem Morris
Owner: Arthur Blank
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Surface: Artificial
Offensive Scheme: 3WR
Defensive Alignment: 4-3
Falcons Look Strong on Both Sides of the Ball
Is The Passing Attack Primed For Another Top 5 Year?
Matt Ryan threw for 290 yards per game last season, which was the fourth best in the league. The offense ranked 6th overall in yards and scored nearly 26 points per game. It was not the offenses problem that the Falcons took a step backward. It was the defense that struggled with injuries and couldn't keep up. Julio Jones and Ryan are an aging core, but there are no signs of slowing down. Add in another year of Austin Hooper and Calvin Ridley with Ryan, and this is a passing attack that should continue to thrive. It is hard to expect anything less than a top ten passing year from this group.
Will A Healthy Atlanta Defense Bounce Back?
When healthy, this defense is extremely solid and has a ton of upside. There are a lot of guys entering their prime, and the injuries caught up with them all at the same time last season. With that being said, the Falcons defense should be better this year. Atlanta struggled getting to the quarterback, and they allowed 26.4 points per game. Not ideal numbers no matter how good the offense is. We should expect the defense to pick things up moving forward, especially with everyone in complete health. The Falcons should be considered as one of the better bounce back teams in football.
Can The Atlanta Rushing Attack Get Going?
Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman were a strong duo, but that is now Ito Smith and Devonta Freeman. The Falcons averaged under 100 yards per game on the ground. Part of this is due to being in pass mode more often than not, the offensive line struggled, and the backs not being as efficient. The Falcons had one of the more balanced rushing attacks which helped their success, but that wasn't the case last year. If Freeman is healthy, the rushing attack should be better. Atlanta drafted two offensive lineman in the draft, and Ito Smith has another season under his belt. It should be a strong year for the Falcons offense as a whole.
