OT - Are the Falcons going to stick around after this year?

[BobDigital]

We see more than not teams that have really good years fall back to the pack for a number of reasons. Denver has a good amount. Carolina has. The Ravens have. Arizona has. They are in the mix to make it in the playoffs but not clearly one of the top teams.

In the AFC I see the Patriots, Raiders sticking around at this point. In the NFC I think Dallas, Seahawks. To a lesser extent other teams like GB/KC exist in both conferences (but they are one of those always the bridesmaid never the bride kind of teams).

Is Atlanta a team we will be talking about again as a real contender in the final 8 next year or will they be at home after being knocked out or miss the playoffs entirely?

Edit: Falcons fans who read this don't take offense.

 

[SomePatsFan13]

Nope.

See: Carolina Panthers.

 

[SVN]

Man, the amount of trash talking by some of us ****y pats fans on this board is unreal.

 

[jboston19]

I think they'll be fine, at least for a while. Their D is young and on their first contracts. Ryan and Jones make a dangerous combination and Dmitrioff seems to be very competent.

 

[jah]

Man, the amount of trash talking by some of us ****y pats fans on this board is unreal.

You're absolutely correct although I don't think this thread is an example.

 

[SomePatsFan13]

Man, the amount of trash talking by some of us ****y pats fans on this board is unreal.

A lot of us have just seen this before.

Carolina and Cam last year.
Cincinnati and "The Red Rocket" 2 years ago.
Wilson and the Legion of Boom.
Denver.
Green Bay/Aaron Rodgers every damn year.
Joe Flacco.
Andrew Luck and the Colts.

It's not ****iness-- it's been there before-ness.

 

[Bill Lee]

What the 'talking heads' have said recently is the reason why the Falcons have 'made the leap' is that Alex Mack has solidified what was a bad O line and Kyle Shanahan's coaching and play calling has elevated Matt Ryan's play. We know Shanny is leaving. They will need to deal with that effectively.

I think they'll be fine, at least for a while. Their D is young and on their first contracts. Ryan and Jones make a dangerous combination and Dmitrioff seems to be very competent.

Excellent points as well. There is more to it than what I wrote above.

 

[Froob]

I think the Panthers will be back next year. Doubt Atlanta is in another Super Bowl.

 

[Mogamedogz]

Oh heck yea. I actually think they peaked even earlier than expected. The defense is REALLY young and loaded with talent. Some of which are still playing on rookie deals. They are only going to get better IMO.

 

[Joey007]

Tampa's winning that division next year.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

When I look at sustainability, I often look at their record in close games (1 possession) as well as schedule. Then you have to look at additions/subtractions.

The Falcons played a tough schedule this year, matching up with the AFC West and NFC West. Next year, they draw the AFC East and NFC North, which has some tough games, but overall should be easier.

They were also 4-4 in close games this year, so they could have been even better with a bit of luck.

The biggest loss will be OC Kyle Shanahan. So I don't expect their offense to be on a record-setting pace, but perhaps the young defense will help offset some of that regression.

The Falcons could be a bit worse next year as a team, but still finish with a better record thanks to the schedule change. I expect they will challenge again regardless of what happens on Sunday.

 

[Pats1989]

No guarantees. Don't see why not. They have an elite offense and D will grow.

Carolina caught lightning in a bottle last year. I never thought they were truly " 15-1" good.

 

[mosslost]

We see more than not teams that have really good years fall back to the pack for a number of reasons. Denver has a good amount. Carolina has. The Ravens have. Arizona has. They are in the mix to make it in the playoffs but not clearly one of the top teams.

In the AFC I see the Patriots, Raiders sticking around at this point. In the NFC I think Dallas, Seahawks and to a lesser extent GB/KC (but they are one of those always the bridesmaid never the bride kind of teams).

Is Atlanta a team we will be talking about again as a real contender in the final 8 next year or will they be at home after being knocked out or miss the playoffs entirely?

Edit: Falcons fans who read this don't take offense.

KC is AFC

 

[Brandon_Cox]

Atlanta is in great shape, cap wise, for next year. Everyone important is already locked up for at least one more year, with the exception of Taylor Gabriel.

 

[Le Numéro Douze]

Man, the amount of trash talking by some of us ****y pats fans on this board is unreal.

While I agree that some people are overconfident, I would argue that being confident and believing the Pats should win if they play their A game isn't being ****y.

I mean, the Falcons have a great team, they could win... strangers things have happened before. They have a great O and a very young D that, judging by its recent performance, is better than the overall numbers suggest. They could blow us out just like we could blow them out... or it could be a nail-biter that could go either way. Any given Sunday, right? Fact of matter is... we won't know until tomorrow 10PM EST at the earliest.

That being said, I am fairly confident the Pats will win. We keep hearing about how much trouble the Pats will have with Julio Jones but... how will THEY deal with Chris Hogan? People say we will struggle with their RBs... what will THEY do against Blount, Lewis AND White? We read everywhere that they have a plethora of weapons that could beat us in many ways... what about OUR depth and OUR many game plans - Edelman, Hogan, Amendola, Mitchell, maybe Floyd, the three RBs and Marty? Matt Ryan has been playing at a MVP-level all year? Cool story... we have Tom ****ing Brady! And then, we have BB and the #1 scoring defense. Yeah, the Falcons are great, but, on paper, the Pats are simply better and should win. The game isn't played on paper though. What will happen tomorrow? I have no clue. I do expect a Patriots win though. Do I respect the Falcons? Hell yeah! Do I trust my team to win? For ****ing sure! Let's not be arrogant, but let's not be chicken littles either... we have a great team and we should expect them to execute and find a way to win. Let's enjoy and embrace the greatness of our beloved Patriots while we can, it won't last forever.

As for the topic at hand: They have a young D, they have cap space and most of their important players are signed for next year. They will be losing their OC though, so, there should be a little impact. TB are up-and-coming and I expect Carolina to rebound. Atlanta should be competing for that division again and be one of the most dangerous team in the NFC next year. I think they have the pieces. Will they execute as well as this year? There lies the challenge and that's why our current run is so impressive. Year in and year out, we get a high level of execution from most of the team. That consistency is very difficult to achieve.

 

[BobDigital]

KC is AFC

I know. I just added them next to GB cause they always seem to make the playoffs and lose before final 4.

 

[luuked]

The narrative of "we will only get better" next year is one of the biggest fallacies in sports. Listen to Lombardi in one of his many outlets; he points it out very often. To survive in the NFL you have to keep evolving and every season is it's own little microcosm. Like every other team Atlanta will have to keep evolving not to regress. There are many, many teams that can attest to that.

Similarly, I don't understand the sudden hype about their "young" and "talented" defense. Just because they have many young players on there it doesn't mean that they will improve as a unit automatically. Some will show a lack of mental toughness and not make it, others will grind through and fulfill their potential.

 

[Ethanga62890]

All of our key pieces are locked up or on rookie contracts. It looks bright for the next 3 years. The NFL is a fickle ***** though so who knows?

 

[luuked]

All of our key pieces are locked up or on rookie contracts. It looks bright for the next 3 years. The NFL is a fickle ***** though so who knows?

Injuries happen, players regress or never reach their full potential, opponents figure out schemes and egos emerge.. it really is not easy to stay consistently on top.

 

[Ethanga62890]

Injuries happen, players regress or never reach their full potential, opponents figure out schemes and egos emerge.. it really is not easy to stay consistently on top.

That's why BB is the goat