The Falcons looked poised to win the Super Bowl last year before Tom Brady led the Patriots to a spirited second-half comeback.
Atlanta made the playoffs this season, but failed to make another deep run. Despite taking a step back offensively, owner Arthur Blank is optimistic his team can make it back to the Super Bowl soon, and this time finish the deal.
"You know, I think we're close," Blank said when asked about his team's chances of winning the franchise's first Super Bowl, via ESPN.com. "Obviously, we were there last year. We got to the second round this year. We could have proceeded further, but we didn't. So, I think the team is in good shape.
"We have some areas that need to be improved on and worked on. And I think the coach (Dan Quinn) and (GM) Thomas (Dimitroff) are aware of those. That's why we have the draft and free agency, and we'll be focused on those."
The Falcons went 10-6 this past season, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles in the divisional playoff round. Atlanta will return almost every key player, but the offense averaged just 22.1 points per game after averaging 33.8 in 2016.
"I feel good about where we are," Blank said. "I think our defense was consistently good throughout this past year. Our offense didn't have that consistency. I think another year of (offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian) in the system and a year with (new quarterbacks coach) Greg Knapp, I think we'll be in good shape."
