Atlanta Falcons: 3 Reasons to take them seriously in 2018

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 06: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons reacts from the sidelines during the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Coliseum on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 31: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Close Calls

Last season, the Falcons played in 10 regular season games that were decided by seven points or less, tied for the league lead. While parity in the NFL has been well-documented and has even become a source of pride for the league, it’s in these tight battles where conferences are won or lost. The Falcons lost four of those 10 games last season.

They also managed to come up short in the NFC Divisional Playoff game that ended 15-10 in favor of the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles. Matt Ryan has already proven himself to be a clutch quarterback, engineering more fourth-quarter comebacks than anyone in the league since 2008. His adjustment to another second-year offensive coordinator should make significant differences for his team this year.

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With adjustments being made around Sarkisian, combined with him having a better idea of how to guide the offense, Falcons fans should be heading into this season with confidence. Ryan will again be leading one of the fastest cars on the track and, if he can edge those narrow loses into narrow escapes, this could be the year that long suffering Falcons fans have been waiting on since 1966.

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