Falcons Project as NFC South Cellar-Dwellers in 2014

I’m pretty sure all of the die-hard Atlanta Falcons fans stopped reading after the headline. If you were brave enough to venture past the header though, then it’s probably because you bypassed the article to begin posting nasty remarks in my comments section lol.

I have to give Falcons fans more credit than that though. Some people are willing to hear a good argument even if it’s one they don’t agree with.

Falcons’ defense has evolved this season

While calling it “championship-caliber” may still be somewhat of a stretch, the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive unit is playing much better this year than it had the first four years of Mike Smith’s coaching tenure.

You probably couldn’t tell by looking at the statistics though. The Falcons rank 23^rd defensively and have given up a lot of yards this season.

College Report: Bulldogs’s loss is Richt’s gain

Was the outcome really in doubt? Anyone who actually believed that the Georgia Bulldogs were going to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in Saturday’s SEC Championship game knows absolutely nothing about football.

I know that’s a pretty harsh assessment but truthfully, what has Mark Richt really accomplished during his tenure at UGA?

Falcons’ Matt Ryan is league’s top-rated quarterback

I still can’t believe it. In a quarterback-driven league that features marquee names like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, it’s truly amazing to see the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan leading the league with a 114 quarterback rating.

What’s even better than Ryan’s QB rating though is the Falcons’ 3-0 record so far this season. They are averaging a 15-point margin in their three victories. Now sure all three wins have come from the weak AFC West but the Falcons have had plenty of opportunities to commit one of their usual letdowns and haven’t.

Atlanta Falcons' fans steadily monitoring Drew Brees' contract situation

Most NFL players relish the opportunity to play against the best and Atlanta Falcons' players are no different. Whether they will admit it or not, every player on the Falcons' roster has been paying attention to everything that has been going on with their division rivals the New Orleans Saints this offseason.

From the suspension of Saints' head coach Sean Payton and New Orleans' signing of ex-Falcon Curtis Lofton to the Drew Brees' contract situation, the Falcons' organization has been paying attention and is very aware of what those things may mean for their division title hopes. Not that they won't take the gift being presented to them but you don't become the best until you beat the best. 

Atlanta Falcons expected backlash from Koetter hire

The numbers don’t look very good on the surface. Atlanta Falcons’ new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter led the league’s 32nd-ranked offense last season as offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And for a talented team like the Falcons that struggled offensively at times during the season and was shut out during the post season, hiring a coordinator from the league’s worst-ranked offense was not the news Falcons’ fans wanted to hear.

Atlanta Falcons won’t improve much through draft

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank mentioned in a recent interview that he liked his team as it is constructed and that the coaching changes they have made will help them get over the playoff hump they have encountered the past four years. I’m sorry to say it but that’s hogwash and he knows it.

What he was really saying is that his team has done a poor job of managing cap space and that his coaching staff must do a better job of evaluating talent.

Playoffs: For Falcons, Getting There is Half the Problem

The Atlanta Falcons are not a team with a rich playoff history. As a matter of fact, up until this year the team had never made the playoffs in consecutive years but in past seasons when the Falcons did make the playoffs they usually made it count.

Swap Meet: Falcons, Jaguars Exchange Offensive Coordinators

Here’s a question for Atlanta Falcons fans. How do you improve an offense that was shutout in the playoffs? By hiring the offensive coordinator of the leagues’ last-ranked offense, that’s how.

Falcons’ Offense Shutout by Giants? That’s Mularkey!

MIKE MULARKEY

Sure the New York Giants have a pretty good defense but there is no way the Atlanta Falcons should have been shutout during their Wild Card playoff game against the Giants with all of the offensive weapons they possess.

Will the Atlanta Falcons be One-and-Done in this Year’s Playoffs?

MATT RYAN AND MIKE SMITH

The Atlanta Falcons have been maddeningly inconsistent this year. They’ve stumbled into the playoffs this year as opposed to how they charged in last season after having grabbed the number one seed which makes you wonder: can they get it together in time to finally give Coach Mike Smith his first playoff win?