After the Atlanta Falcons’ Super Bowl 51 collapse, we take a look at if that loss could ever be forgiven by their faithful followers.
We are still a few months out from the Atlanta Falcons‘ first game of the 2017 regular season and if you’re anything like me, you haven’t been able to get Super Bowl LI out of your mind. While we have seen our share of letdowns, on the world’s biggest football stage, the Falcons weren’t able to hold onto their commanding 28-3 lead.
At the same time, I can’t even imagine what each player felt walking off the field that night. They worked so hard, overcame such improbable odds, to only fall short in the first overtime Super Bowl in NFL history. Now that we are getting close to the season, we have to brace ourselves to hear about that game for the rest of 2017 and beyond. However, that doesn’t mean this loss isn’t forgivable.
Even though it doesn’t feel like it, the Falcons are coming off one of the most exciting seasons in Atlanta sports history. No, it may not have been more special than the Braves’ 1995 World Series Championship, but it’s still way up there.
For so many years we have debated whether Matt Ryan is “elite” or not. He not only answered that question, but he won an MVP award that will change the way everyone will view his career in the NFL. As a fan, I couldn’t be more happy for the former Boston College Eagle.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Do you remember what it was like to just be happy winning one playoff game? Heck, it took Mike Smith years to finally get over the hump and that even took a late-game field goal to get that victory. Then one week later, his club couldn’t finish the job against the San Fransisco 49ers.
How quickly we forget that head coach Dan Quinn was able to bring an NFC Championship trophy to Atlanta after just two seasons with the franchise. Not to mention, they did that in the last NFL game ever played in the infamous Georgia Dome. That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen for this franchise and definitely not for Atlanta fans.
I understand being upset and hesitant when it comes to watching football this season, but what we saw last year was just the tip of the iceberg. Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff have built an extremely fast and physical roster that is built for long-term success.
We can’t go back and change what happened in Super Bowl LI, but we can choose to move forward. If there’s one head coach in this league that can turn a negative into a positive, it’s Dan Quinn. Therefore, we should have no worries about how his team will respond in 2017.
Next: NFL 2017: Dark horse MVP candidate from each team
That being said, is Atlanta’s Super Bowl collapse forgivable? I say most definitely. If you’ve been a Falcons fan for most of your life, then you know how good we had it last season. It was one heck of a ride and I cannot wait until the next one. Game on.