There's been a lot of conversation surrounding the Atlanta Falcons this off-season. Some analysts love Atlanta's approach. Some despise it. Some are utterly confused by their rationale, others understand it fully. One thing remains constant throughout the discourse: Everybody needs to see more.
The Athletic's Jacob Robinson and Dianna Russini ranked every NFL team by their status as a contender for Super Bowl LIX, and the Falcons ranked about where one would expect. Robinson and Russini ranked Atlanta 13th, about where they should be: On the cusp of being a top-ten team but not yet meeting that threshold. What was more interesting was not the number but the tier that The Athletic's R&R put them in.
Atlanta was one of five teams in Tier 3 of their rankings, labeled "Need to see more." The other teams in this tier were:
- 12) Cleveland Browns
- 14) Indianapolis Colts
- 15) Chicago Bears and
- 16) Miami Dolphins
The quick blurb on the Falcons is that they and Chicago are looking to "improve on 7-10 seasons after adding their quarterbacks of the present (and/or future)."
It's true. Atlanta was stuck at 7-10 for three consecutive years under former coach Arthur Smith until management finally said enough. The hope is that the subtraction of Smith and his seemingly archaic offense and the addition of new head coach Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake will be the jumpstart this talent-filled roster needs. To top things off, they also signed the top quarterback in free agency and built out the receiver room to better accompany a McVay/Shanahan-esque offense.
But we still need to see more. Asking a team to come in and immediately gel is a tough ask, no matter how talented the roster may be. There is continuity in some spots, the offensive line, the running back room, etc. But how does it look when it all comes together?
Everyone just wants to see it play out, but there is no doubt that the Falcons are one of the more intriguing teams in the NFL this season.
