Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr gave 100 bold predictions about the 2024 NFL season, from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's potential engagement to Cooper DeJean becoming the face of athleticism for the Philadelphia Eagles. For the Atlanta Falcons, Orr had three predictions that ranged from Bijan Robinson doing something that hasn't been done in Atlanta in over 25 years to Michael Penix, Jr. getting some run in 2024.
Bold Prediction #1 - Drake Maye, not Michael Penix, Jr., will make the fewest starts among all rookie first-round quarterbacks.
The Patriots could—and should—shield Maye from their in-repair roster and allow him to learn from Jacoby Brissett, though Penix will be forced into the mix for at least two starts. (I am not saying Kirk Cousins will have a serious injury, because that’s very uncool to predict and is against the Code of the Orracle. Maybe, like Aaron Rodgers, he’ll require some time off during work hours for a vision quest. Or maybe he’s just like the rest of us banged-up, 36-year-old dads, prone to aches and pains.) Penix will go 1–1 in his two starts, throwing four touchdowns, three interceptions and one very cool broken-play off-balance throw that sets up a game-winning field goal.
While Cousins going on a vision quest near Stone Mountain and giving Penix a chance to flex his muscles in year one is a fun possibility, the likeliest scenarios are that the Falcons are so far ahead of the pack in the NFC South that they're able to rest their starters for a playoff run (more on that later) or Cousins finally shows signs of wear and tear, giving Penix scattered opportunities to play.
As far as Drake Maye goes, the longer the New England Patriots can keep him away from this current roster, the better.
Bold Prediction #2 - Bijan Robinson will top 2,000 yards on offense
While I’m less optimistic about seeing the Kyle Pitts train rolling, I don’t think it’s an accident that Raheem Morris brought an offensive coordinator with him from the Los Angeles Rams. The Atlanta Falcons’ run game is going to be exotic, and it’s going to be created specifically to get Robinson the most opportunities humanly possible. I wouldn’t rule out a vintage 2017–18 Todd Gurley–type performance.
SOMEBODY from this trio of first-round playmakers needs to have a breakout year or Falcons fans may riot outside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Whether it's Pitts, Robinson or Drake London, one of them has to have a big year.
If Robinson does top 2,000 yards, this will only be the fourth time in the franchise's history and the first time in the 21st century:
- William Andrews - 1981 - 2036 yards (1,301 rushing, 735 receiving)
- William Andrews - 1983 - 2176 yards (1,567 rushing, 609 receiving)
- Jamal Anderson - 1998 - 2165 yards (1,846 rushing, 319 receiving)
Bold Prediction #3 - The Falcons will be leading the NFC South at Thanksgiving, and the division will have three different leaders at various points this season
The NFC South will play out a bit like one of those jumbotron taco races, where each taco—chicken, steak, mahi mahi—has a time in the lead before the eventual champion pulls away and a select row of fans receives $4 off a new set of windshield wipers at WIPER VIPER™. The Saints, Falcons and Buccaneers will all spend time in first place, though the all-important Thanksgiving quarter pole will have everyone high on Kirk Cousins and Raheem Morris.
The Falcons schedule starts out as difficult as this schedule possibly could, facing the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a matter of four weeks. Not to mention that Cousins usually starts seasons slow.
| Month | Adjusted Net Yards/Attempt (ANY/A) |
|---|---|
| September | 6.67 |
| October | 6.93 |
| November | 7.59 |
| December | 7.16 |
Atlanta has a significantly easier schedule as you get past the bye week, ending the season against teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders, so there is a chance they run away with the NFC South by stacking up wins in the latter half of the season.
Dishonorable Mention - Five general manager vacancies will come open in 2025
After a long stretch of coaches being fired with far more regularity, we’ll see only two fewer general manager firings than head coach firings, reshaping some divisions and putting a few teams on vastly different trajectories.
Terry Fontenot has been playing with fire as far as how he's built this team, but when you start messing with the quarterback position, that's how you end up flying too close to the sun. With him not getting a player who can help them in 2024, opting for a future play, Fontenot cut his margin of error significantly. So, there's a chance that one of these five GM vacancies come from Flowery Branch, especially if the Falcons miss the playoffs again this season.
Honorable Mention- The charcuterie board will make a roaring comeback ahead of tailgate season
Dining fads come and go, but an assortment of jams, hard cheeses, cured meats, olives and nuts is truly hard to beat, especially when paired with thinly sliced pieces of toast instead of crackers.
Let's end on a high note. The charcuterie board is an underrated portion of the party that I personally believe deserves more respect. It's a perfect storm of meats, cheeses, olives and nuts that come together beautifully to form a nice appetizer before you really get into your meal. OR it could be your meal if you're trying to watch what you're trying to eat.
The charcuterie board making a comeback is a beautiful thing that will only help the tailgate.
