Atlanta Falcons: 3 Reasons to take them seriously in 2018

After coming up short the last two seasons, the Atlanta Falcons are Super Bowl contenders once again heading into 2018 and must be taken seriously.

With just over six minutes left in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI, the Atlanta Falcons had over a 99 percent chance of becoming champions of the NFL (99.8 percent, to be exact). What happened to them over the next quarter and a half will likely remain the most improbable comeback in Super Bowl history.

Making the playoffs last season, coming off of such a crushing defeat, was no small accomplishment. A season later, coming a few plays short of making it to back-to-back NFC Championship Games could twist the knife a bit deeper, or leave a team understanding just how close they are to becoming an elite franchise, one that is perpetually contending.

This is the year the Falcons can finish what they started two years ago when they were ahead of the Patriots, 28-3. Here are the reasons why:

Coaching Chess Pieces

After the aforementioned collapse, there were scores of Falcons fans happy to see then offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan go. Several may have even paid for his Uber ride to the airport if given the option. Funny how things can change in a matter of a year.

Steve Sarkisian did not exactly win the hearts and minds of the fanbase during his first season as Shanahan’s replacement. The most optimistic of Falcons fans will likely point to Shanahan’s bumpy first season with the team and his remarkable bounce-back sophomore campaign.

The other side of the coin, however, is that Sarkisian has simply not shown that he is the bounce-back type. As a pure play-caller, you have to go back to his time at USC to compare a year-to-year improvement. In fact, that has been his longest tenure having total control of play calling. He certainly had influence over the offensive play selection as a head coach while at the University of Washington, but he always had an offensive coordinator on staff.

Dan Quinn must be a chess player — not checkers. In checkers, you make a move, you jump someone and you eliminate a piece from the board. It may improve your position, but it also explicitly announces to everyone your intentions. Chess is more subtle. Chess requires forethought, careful planning and it does not reward over-reaction or hasty decisions.

Quinn could have moved on from Sarkisian after the offense lost some of the explosiveness that propelled it to the title game. He likely would not have had to defend the decision that vigorously. But Quinn chose chess rather than checkers. Sark is still in Flowery Branch, still with play sheet in hand — or at least that’s how it may seem. The reality, however, is not quite that simple.

There have been subtle moves around him that signal his responsibilities could change quickly. The addition of Greg Knapp, who has been an offensive coordinator for four NFL teams (including the Falcons previously) as quarterback coach is something I am sure everyone in the film room has felt.

If adding an experienced offensive coordinator to the mix isn’t enough of a sign, then having someone oversee the most powerful part of your gameplan may be. That is precisely what Raheem Morris will be doing this season as he has had “Passing Game Coordinator” added to his many titles. Quinn is putting the pieces in place to be prepared and to address any continued lack of production.