Atlanta Falcons look like playoff team, but are they?

Injuries decimated a talented Atlanta Falcons team last season. With a return to full health, the Falcons once again have the look of a playoff team, but are they? Something might be missing.

Talent wasn’t a problem for the Atlanta Falcons in 2018. Instead, their disappointment stemmed from injury issues and inconsistency. All of Ricardo Allen, Devonta Freeman, Deion Jones, Andy Levitre and Keanu Neal were on IR and missed at least half the season.

Matt Ryan had a tremendous bounce-back season. There wasn’t enough ground support with Freeman sidelined though. Calvin Ridley was up and down, as one would expect from a rookie wide receiver. The offensive line also dropped off mightily from the prior year. With a return to full health, Atlanta once again has the look of a playoff team. But do all the pieces actually fit?

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the Atlanta Falcons in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

The Atlanta offense still looks solid, if healthy. Thanks to injuries last season, the Falcons defense never even got its footing, but there is a lot to like here. Assuming a return to full health, there are weapons at all three levels, led by Jones and Neal. It could be argued that the team’s best assets at both linebacker and in the secondary were out. That hurts those units but also has an impact on the front four, where Vic Beasley continued his fall from 2016 heights.

A lot of the defense’s success this coming year will depend on the pairing of Beasley and Tak McKinley. They are a fearsome pair who underwhelmed. With play-makers back behind them, this season is a turning point. Coach Dan Quinn has said he plans on moving the two around more and to be more creative.

On offense, additions were made to the interior of the offensive line in an attempt to get back a cohesive unit. That added beef will hopefully help the running game, where Freeman has struggled to stay healthy and will now be without his running mate Tevin Coleman. There are certainly enough impact pass catchers to take pressure off the running game.

Health isn’t a skill from a team standpoint. Occasionally, teams are ruined by injury for a number of years running, but in general, this is a cyclical thing. Better injury luck alone should push Atlanta back into the playoff picture. From there, I love the talent on this roster. Matt Ryan feels annually underrated; as is Julio Jones, even as people forever praise them. A rejuvenated pass rush pushes the Atlanta Falcons into a crowded NFC South discussion.

Dan Salem:

You make a ton of valid points, and I can’t argue with the logic behind a healthy Falcons team being a true playoff contender. Yet two major questions taint the positive vibes surrounding this football team. Can Freeman succeed without a dominant running mate to balance his workload? Will Ryan continue his every other year pattern of success under center?

Over the last four seasons Ryan has seesawed between 20 touchdowns and 30+ touchdowns. He’s also seesawed between double and single digit interceptions. Now it must be stated that Ryan has not had a “bad” season since his rookie year.

He’s thrown 20+ touchdowns every season since his first, with over 4000 yards passing in his last eight straight seasons. The issue is not Matt Ryan, because last season he played just as great as in 2016 when the Atlanta Falcons made the Super Bowl. But if Ryan returns to his average level of production, rather than his career highs of 2016 and 2018, then Atlanta is going to need more help.

I’m a big fan of Ryan and believe he will continue to be one of the best at his position. Staying healthy will make all but my running back concerns disappear for his team in 2019. Who is going to carry the other half of the load, because Freeman has never had to do it all himself. He had two excellent seasons in 2015 and 2016, surpassing 1000 yards rushing and over 200 attempts. Freeman also put up double digit touchdowns in those two seasons. But two great years out of five do not bode well for the Falcons.

Ito Smith must step up and shoulder more of the running back load. He was solid in his rookie year, when given the opportunity to perform. I’ll be watching closely to see how the Falcons approach the draft. It will tell us all we need to know about Smith.

Atlanta has the 14th overall pick, a perfect spot considering the state of the team. They can trade back or forward. Using their pick should net them an immediate starter. This is a defense heavy draft, meaning the top offensive players likely slide back to the Falcons at fourteen. A healthy roster and an impact rookie will solidify the Falcons’ rebound.