2012 Atlanta Falcons Preview

2012 Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are a very frustrating team. They finally have a quarterback and coach in place that has brought them multiple winning seasons and playoff berths over the last few years. Unfortunately though, they haven’t been able to get over the hump and win a playoff game. They have been one and done every time they have gotten into the postseason, and this season is a sort of crossroads for Matt Ryan. He has been in the league for several years now and has had several chances to be successful in the playoffs, but he hasn’t come through. This season, the Falcons will pass more and have given the reigns to Ryan to lead them to glory this season. They play in a tough division that is winnable, with the Saints going through their suspensions, and a possible sophomore slump for Cam Newton and the Panthers. It will be a tough road for the Falcons, who play a grueling schedule, but if Atlanta can’t take the next step this year, it’s unclear whether they ever will.

Offense

This offense will officially be Matt Ryan’s to lead. After the years of Michael Turner getting over 300 carries a season and handling a huge workload, the Falcons want to lessen his attempts and let Ryan throw more. Matty Ice still has Tony Gonzalez at tight end who is as reliable as ever, and Roddy White on the outside, who is a perennial top ten receiver and a virtual lock for at least 80-90 catches a season. However, many experts are convinced that this is the season that Julio Jones breaks out and becomes a superstar. According to some experts, Jones will be the number two receiver in the entire league behind Megatron. I’m not buying it. I am not a believer in Atlanta this year or Julio Jones breaking out the way people think he will. I still don’t think Matt Ryan is ready to become big-time, and while I think White and Jones will both be studs, I still think that Roddy White will have a better season this year, and that Julio Jones will not finish in the top 10 in fantasy. One more year. As for the running game, Michael Turner is still the workhorse for this team and is a strong candidate for 1,000 and 10 touchdowns. Some people are predicting a letdown, and I am to a lesser extent, but I still think Turner will be a top 15 or top 20 running back. This offense has the potential to be explosive, but it all depends on whether Matt Ryan is ready to jump up to elite status. I don’t think he’s ready, but I could be wrong.

Defense

The Atlanta Falcons have a decent defense that isn’t great but they can get the job done and make stops when they have to. They have one dominant pass rusher in John Abraham, but besides him, they don’t really have anyone else that can rush the passer, which could pose a problem down the road against QBs who can pick the defense apart. They still have Sean Weatherspoon at linebacker, but lost Curtis Lofton to the Saints this offseason which I think will be a huge loss during the year. This unit might get burned in the running game. What the Falcons do have, is a trio for cornerbacks who can hopefully lock up the opposing team’s best three receivers. Dunta Robinson, Brent Grimes, and Asante Samuel are three defensive backs who are potential lockdown cover corners, which could give Atlanta a big advantage when they match up against teams with potent passing attacks, like Green Bay, New Orleans, or the Giants. The Falcons might have a nice trio of corners, but this defense isn’t as good as it was last year, and Atlanta better hope that they can overcome that.

Schedule

The Atlanta Falcons finished at a cool 10-6 in 2011, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Giants without being able to score a single offensive point. This year, they play a tougher schedule and have a strange pattern where they alternate away and home games for all 16 games of the season. While this team is fabulous at home, they play some tough contests in the Georgia Dome this year and will not go undefeated there. That said, they aren’t that great away from home and should struggle a little bit on the road as well. Let’s see what their record will be.

Week 1: L at KC

Week 2: W vs DEN

Week 3: L at SD

Week 4: W vs CAR

Week 5: W at WAS

Week 6: W vs OAK

Week 7: Bye

Week 8: L at PHI

Week 9: W vs DAL

Week 10: L at NO

Week 11: W vs ARI

Week 12: L at TB

Week 13: W vs NO

Week 14: L at CAR

Week 15: W vs NYG

Week 16: L at DET

Week 17: W vs TB

I think that the 2012 Atlanta Falcons will finish at a modest 9-7, which would tie them with the Philadelphia Eagles. Remember, since Green Bay has one wild card spot locked down, there is only room for one more playoff team as a wild card, do if Atlanta doesn’t win the division at 9-7, they’re in trouble. In that Week 8 matchup, I have the Falcons losing to the Eagles in Philly, which would give Philadelphia the tiebreaker and knocking Atlanta out of the playoff picture. So Atlanta better hope they win the NFC South! Which is easier said than done, with the teams they are fighting against. So what’s the verdict for the Atlanta Falcons in 2012? No playoffs. After my bold prediction, I’ll preview the Carolina Panthers. Sophomore slump for Cam? We’ll see.

Bold Prediction: The Atlanta Falcons will not make the playoffs and Julio Jones will not finish as a top 10 receiver. Nor will Matt Ryan finish as a top 10 quarterback.