By Coalition Staff Writer Eric Quackenbush
In 2008 the NFL saw a resurgence of the Atlanta Falcons--one that wasn't really expected to happen with a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach. But now all teams in the NFL are taking notice of the top-flight Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons are stacked on offense this season. They made a trade to Kansas City for Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, a move that bolsters Atlanta's offensive skill position personnel from scary to deadly.
There are now three star players on Atlanta's offense at the skill positions: Michael Turner, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez.
Last season White had 88 receptions for 1,382 yards good for 15.7 yards after catch, and seven touchdowns. White ranked fourth in receiving yards at the end of the 2008 regular season. Houston's Andre Johnson, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald, and Carolina's Steve Smith finished ahead of White, respectively.
I expect White's receiving yards to finish about the same, possibly catching one or two more touchdowns this season. Let's not forget the monster schedule of opponents the NFC South faces this season.
Michael Turner was among the NFL's top runners in '08, ranked second overall in rushing yards. The Vikings' Adrian Peterson finished above Turner, respectively.
Turner had 376 carries for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 41 yards.
The Falcons really got a steal when they signed Turner last season, and with Jerious Norwood sharing some of the load out of the backfield, Turner's output will definitely surpass 1,000 yards rushing again, and should come close to 1,500 yards, ideally.
Jerious Norwood also makes for a multi-talented threat the Falcons
Tony Gonazalez, the Falcons' latest weapon had a decent season in Kansas City, considering the quarterback situation was subpar for KC in '08. Gonzalez started in all 16 of the Chiefs games last season. He caught 96 passes for 1,058 yards, an average of 11 yards after catch and 10 touchdowns.
Atlanta's tight ends combined for less than 20 catches in '08, so the tight end statistics will improve dramatically with Gonzalez bolstering the Falcons' threat in the receiving core.
The most important contributing factor to the Falcons continued success however, is the health and arm of second year quarterback, Matt Ryan.
In 2008, Ryan was named NFL Rookie of the Year. He finished the regular season 265-of-434 for 3,440 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, for an overall passer rating of 87.7 finishing 13th overall in the NFL.
This year will be a testament to Ryan's career. As a second-year starter, Matt Ryan has all the weapons and protection around him to avoid what many have dubbed the "Sophomore Slump." The biggest concern however, is aside from inner-division rivalries, the Falcons face a much tougher schedule this year than last.
Atlanta lost a few key players on defense this year: linebacker Keith Brooking, defensive back Dominique Foxworth, and strong safety Lawyer Milloy.
To me the Falcons biggest area of uncertainty is the defensive secondary. While there is a lot of promising young talent, the Falcons need those veteran players to step up big time this season. The Falcons are hopeful that defensive back Von Hutchins will help anchor an uncertain secondary.
Going into his third year, defensive back David Irons is amongst heavy competition to make the 53-man roster, among rookie talents William Middleton, Chevis Jackson, Christopher Owens, and Glenn Sharpe. The Falcons are not without depth in the secondary, but cuts are inevitable as the season draws closer.
The safety position is also a young area for Atlanta, but there's a wealth of unfounded talent there as well. Erik Coleman, Antoine Harris, Jamaal Fudge, Thomas DeCoud, William Moore, and Eric Brock will make for some lively competition there. Last year, the Falcons carried four safeties on the active roster.
Overall, Atlanta's defense is ranked 24th in the league. However, on the bright side, the Falcons finished a very respectable 11th in points allowed. If Atlanta can carry over that scoring defense and create better mismatches in the secondary, this defense has the potential to become a top-10 defense.
The Falcons open training camp on August 1, which will include several practices open to the public.
The Falcons will hold their training camp scrimmage at Brookwood High School in Snellville on Aug. 7. They will hold a mock game at the Georgia Dome on Aug. 8.
In total, the team will hold 28 practices from August 1-14 before playing Detroit in its first preseason game on Aug. 16.
In summarizing, the Falcons are definitely loaded on offense. Their depth is far greater than it has been in a long time, maybe ever. The defensive backfield is still suspect, but has gotten younger and returns some promising talent from last season, and added some promising talent through the draft and free agency.
I like the Falcons to finish the year with no less than 10 wins with decent potential to win the division in '09.
Preseason division rank: Second
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