Atlanta Falcons: Early expectations for Devonta Freeman
The Atlanta Falcons are looking to build upon their 8-8 season last year as early expectations for running back Devonta Freeman are very good.
Running back Devonta Freeman surprised many in his sophomore season last year with the Atlanta Falcons. Freeman totaled 1,056 rushing yards on 265 attempts and 11 touchdowns. As a receiving option, Freeman totaled 578 yards on 73 receptions and three touchdowns.
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Freeman put up a memorable season last year for the Falcons despite suffering an unfortunate concussion that he never bounced back from in Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts. Freeman started the season hot right out of the gates but then after this injury, started to fizzle out.
He totaled four games of at least 100+ rushing yards in the first half of the regular season but due to that concussion and playing opponents that figured out how to stop his rushing attack, he didn’t play the same.
Of course the entire team went on a losing streak, seeing the Falcons lose six of their final eight games of the season, they missed the original impact Freeman brought earlier on. As the Falcons prepare to bounce back from last year, early expectations are good for Freeman as he prepares for 2016.
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Even though the Falcons will more than likely have a two-headed monster at running back between Freeman and Tevin Coleman, expect to see the former perform better than the latter.
Coleman will more than likely get the majority of reps thanks to his speed, ability to be a receiving threat and the fact that his third year on the Falcons could potentially be a breakout one.
Last year, Coleman had an issue with fumbles as he had three in 2015. He undoubtedly will be working on fixing that during the offseason and will hone that aspect of his running style throughout training camp and preseason football.
Freeman should be able to continue the momentum he built upon last year thanks to his familiarity on offense and how committed offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is to running a balanced offensive attack.
The best teams in the NFL know that since the league is dominantly a passing one these days, if you can successful keep those chains moving thanks to a potent ground game, it opens everything else up. Besides eating up time of possession, it opens up play-action plays that quarterback Matt Ryan excels in once the offense has established the run against opponents.
Freeman’s unique speed and power will make him a force to reckon with this upcoming season. With all the terrific talent the Falcons have offensively, Freeman will be the catalyst that gets everything going consistently in 2016.
Make no mistake about it, expect a breakout year for Freeman as he continues his quest to be one of the top up-and-coming running backs in the NFL. He’s already off to a great start as recently in NFL Network’s “Top 100” countdown of who are the best of the best in the league, his peers voted him at No. 50 and for good reason.
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Overall, not only do his fellow peers know that he’s a player to keep an eye on, but if the Falcons plan to make a run for the NFC South division title, it might very well come down to the running back play of Freeman in 2016. If he can be consistent, stay healthy and capitalize on everything he’s done last season, he will be making a case for a consecutive Pro Bowl appearance.