Three Cheers already for Falcons or too early?
It’s hard to tell if the Atlanta Falcons of 2012 are the real deal. Fine, the record of 11-1 coming into December is one of fact; it’s there in the stats column. However, should we be getting excited about them though?
This past Thursday’s win over the New Orleans Saints, has all but sealed the NFC South division, and if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the Denver Broncos this Sunday, they will have won it. Head Coach Mike Smith has his “Dirty Birds” flying high at the top of the NFL tree. Question is, can they stay there and nest throughout the playoffs?
They are led on the field by quarterback Matt Ryan, the passer now in his fifth season is having another solid campaign. He should once again pass the 4,000 yards mark in passing and may even get to 30 touchdowns, already thrown for 22. He worryingly has 13 interceptions so will have to be a bit more careful with the ball through January, and also has been sacked 22 times, so his line will have to be more protective if he is to continue finding his explosive wide receivers.
Speaking of which, the ever reliable Tony Gonzalez has been his favoured target so far. The tight end has 73 catches for over 700 yards and 7 TD’s. However its the exciting deep threat of Roddy White and Julio Jones that have caught the eye. White has 68 receptions for over 1,000 yards, but only found the end zone 4 times. Jones is getting close the the 1,000 landmark on just 58 catches he is 69 yards shy. Michael Turner is still the main ball carrier, and has rushed 180 times for 675 yards and 7 touchdowns. Add to this the smart play of Jacquizz Rogers who is effective in both running (274 yards) and receiving (284), the offense is well balanced. It currently is ranked 8th in the league.
Defensively they are well set-up, but needs to step up going into post-season play. John Abraham has 10 sacks to keep opposing quarterbacks on their toes, and the high level of play from William Moore, Stephen Nicholas and Dunta Robinson always hard in the tackle keeps all offenses honest. The secondary is sharp having 16 interceptions on the year, led by Thomas Decoud’s 5, and Moore has chipped in with 4.
The third phase of the game Special teams, often so crucial in crunch time, is not so special so far. Kicker Matt Bryant is reliable, as is punter Matt Busher. As of yet there are no kickoff or punt returns for touchdowns.
All sounds good and steady then, and worthy of their record. So why are they still posing a question mark for some?
You can only beat who is put in front of you, but they have been given a soft schedule. They have only beaten 2 teams with winning records so far, the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay, who themselves are only 6-5. They have beaten some teams convincingly. Opening week they won big over Kansas City 40-24, two weeks later they almost shutout San Diego 27-3, their next biggest win was 13 points against the Eagles. Lets face it though, who hasn’t beat up on those teams this year.
The rest of their wins have been by an average of 5.1 points. Not blowing away teams as maybe an 11-1 record would suggest, but rather just doing enough. Is that a cause of concern when historically teams play harder on defense when the playoffs roll around?
They finish the season softly too with only a visit by the New York Giants as a real threat to their one loss year. Carolina, Detroit and Tampa Bay should be wins for Atlanta to prove they are the force the say they are. Those wins should wrap up home field and give them the extra advantage as they push for only their second Super Bowl berth.
It’s hard to see them getting past a tough defensive side such as Chicago or San Francisco, especially of they do end up on the road to those teams. They have the the talent and coaching to see them through, but I think when the real tournament starts in January they will come up short of the ultimate goal.
