Atlanta Falcons Standings

The Falcons have long been revered for their offensive prowess. From Michael Vick to Matt Ryan, the team has continued to dazzle fans with its abilities.

Atlanta still stands a chance at qualifying for postseason play this year despite fierce competition in the NFC South, thanks to Marty Fontenot's arrival as general manager with an organized plan in mind.

History

At first, the Falcons struggled to establish themselves within the NFL. Still, they managed to make notable runs during certain seasons - 1998 was especially memorable; making a Super Bowl appearance and thrilling fans with new optimism was truly memorable! Over time however, several standout players such as Steve Bartkowski, Michael Vick and Matt Ryan became staples on their team.

Atlantans had long struggled to establish a professional football franchise in Atlanta and eventually found success when their application to join the NFL was granted in 1965. The league granted their franchise to Rankin Smith and his group who purchased it from AFL in 1966. Their inaugural season proved unsuccessful as they lost 9 consecutive games until finally scoring their inaugural win on November 20, which marked their inaugural win!

In 1971, under Norm Van Brocklin's leadership, the Atlanta Falcons captured their inaugural division title. That same year they advanced to the playoffs, winning a Wild Card game against Philadelphia Eagles but falling to Dallas Cowboys in Divisional Playoffs.

Although the Falcons missed out on playoff contention in 2009, coach Mike Smith led them back into contention over three winning seasons and eventually winning the NFC South championship in 2010. Unfortunately though, their hopes of reaching Super Bowl were dashed when they lost their opening playoff game to Green Bay Packers.

Offense

The Falcons don't boast many high-flying players on offense. They've started an economical free agent quarterback who served as backup for two seasons prior. Kyle Pitts and Drake London standout among tight ends and wide receivers; Cordarrelle Patterson remains injured but may return soon; their offensive line features second-year center Parker Hesse and guard MyCole Pruitt provide stability.

Atlanta has defied expectations on offense despite these restrictions and has placed ninth in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric; an incredible accomplishment considering they were expected to perform below-average at every position.

Sun Tzu would describe this strategy as bullying your opponent, and the Falcons can accomplish this goal through mobile quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends who can align all over the field, and wide receivers who can play either out wide or in the slot - all elements necessary for making big plays in space.

One way the Falcons will accomplish that goal is through seam routes. Former professional quarterback Dan Orlovsky notes that Atlanta uses simple route concepts like the zig-zag and nine-route to create open windows for passing. Seam routes like these eat up defenses while leaving post or corner routes available on either side that could create openings for passing plays.

Defense

The Falcons have not experienced much success on defense in recent seasons. Indeed, they have consistently ranked in the bottom half of league in sacks for several seasons now - yet this doesn't mean the team isn't working towards improving this area of their play.

In 2021, the Falcons selected Texas star TE Kyle Pitts with their fourth overall selection. Pitts is an unguardable player that will contribute significantly to their pass happy offense and has already made an impression during training camp.

David Onyemata was another key addition to the defensive front, providing instantaneous strength and heft to complement Grady Jarrett in the interior of the defense. Additionally, Onyemata is versatile with experience at other positions - a vital trait when trying to make changes across their defensive line.

Hiring Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator was a tremendous boost to their defense. Under Ryan's aggressive and overpowering scheme, front line strength must become a strength of the Falcons to do this effectively. Although depth is not a critical need at present, GM Terry Fontenot and Ryan Nielsen will prioritize finding players with size, tenacity and versatility during this year's draft process.

Special teams

The Falcons have long been one of the premier franchises in professional sports. Over their longstanding history, many memorable players have graced their roster, from first-round selection Tommy Nobis - encouraged by orbital astronaut Frank Borman to pick Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL) in 1966 - to superstar wide receiver Julio Jones today. This team has witnessed some truly magnificent talent on its roster through the years.

Although they have yet to win a Super Bowl, the Falcons remain amongst one of the most competitive teams in the NFL and boast a tremendous fan base that supports them unfailingly. In 2019, their hopes are set on taking another step towards reaching this year's playoffs and potentially reaching Super Bowl 50 in Atlanta.

With new additions to their special teams units and Matt Kotwica back as coordinator, the Falcons appear poised to improve upon last season's already outstanding special teams performance. Younghoe Koo and Thomas Morstead did not miss a kickoff return all season while Josh Harris earned second team All Pro honors. Kotwica excels at capitalizing on players' abilities; this seems likely to enable the Falcons' dominance in this aspect of game play.

Home games for the Atlanta Falcons are broadcast on Fox's O&O affiliate, WAGA, while also participating in regionally syndicated NBC Sports Radio network. Veteran sportscaster Woody Durham serves as play-by-play announcer while former Carolina Panthers quarterback and NFL coach Dave Archer provides color commentary.