Cover 9@9: Falcons’ path to NFC South title clearer

The Bucs won the division this season, and the Saints won the previous four.

The Panthers are in shambles under former college coach Matt Rhule. They don’t have a quarterback and appear to be spinning into oblivion.

Without Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, who retired after the 2020 season, the Falcons can regain the upper hand on their rivals.

The Bucs, with Blaine Gabbert currently as the top quarterback, don’t look as scary. The Bucs pummeled the Falcons over the past two years and treated quarterback Matt Ryan like a rag doll.

The Falcons have not won the NFC South title since the 2016 season.

2. Hands police: The hands police were out in Mobile at the Senior Bowl.

But Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett didn’t get his hands measured and will do so at the combine.

“I just want to get the most accurate measurement,” Pickett said. “I’m working on mobility thing. ... Just want to work mobility things. I’ll measure it in Indy at the combine.”

He’s doing hand stretches with the hopes of getting them bigger.

3. One-year wonder: Pickett thinks he can explain how he improved so much in 2021.

“I think the game really slowed down for me mentally,” Pickett said. “Being able to take what I’m watching on film, streamline that, to seeing those pictures on the game field. Knowing how to attack a good defense and knowing what we are doing with our game plan. I think that really took my game the next level and it really boosted our offense.”

4. Marino’s shadow: Any quarterback that plays at Pitt does so in the shadow of the great Dan Marino.

“He’s a Pitt legend,” Pickett said. “He’s a guy that when I showed up, his name was on the wall. His picture was on the wall on my first recruiting trip. They had like a little booth that was like all Marino. Had all of his gear when he was at Pitt. I have a picture with it.”

5. New running backs coach: Michael Pitre, formerly of the Chicago Bears, was hired as the running backs coach by the Falcons on Monday.

Pitre, 37, held the same position in Chicago in 2021. He replaced Des Kitchings who left to become the offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia. Previously, Pitre entered the league as a scouting intern with New England in 2009.

Later in 2017, he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship coaching program. He coached in the college ranks at Oregon State (2018-20), Montana State (2014-17) and was a graduate assistant at Colorado (2012-13).

The Falcons finished 31st in the NFL rushing last season while averaging 85.4 yards per game.

In one season with Pitre, the Bears ranked 14th in the league (118.7 rushing yards per game). The Bears had 13 carries of 20 or more yards to tie for seventh in the league.

Pitre was a fullback at UCLA from 2003-07, including three seasons as a starter.

6. Reserve/futures players: The Falcons have signed 21 players to reserve/futures contracts.

The players are guard Rashaad Coward, tight end Daniel Helm, outside linebacker Duke Ejiofor; cornerback Corey Ballentine, defensive back Dee Alford, defensive back Cornell Armstrong, offensive lineman Willie Beavers, outside linebacker Quinton Bell, outside linebacker Jordan Brailford, inside linebacker Dorian Etheridge, wide receiver Chad Hansen, running back Caleb Huntley, cornerback Luther Kirk, tight end Brayden Lenius, punter Dom Maggio, offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil, cornerback Lafayette Pitts, tight end John Raine, outside linebacker Rashad Smith, defensive end Nick Thurman and wide receiver Austin Trammell.

7. 2022 opponents: The Falcons know their opponents for the 2022 season. The Falcons (7-10) finished in third place in the NFC South. Dates and times will be announced at a later date.

The Falcons will play home and away games against the rest of the NFC South (Saints, Buccaneers and Panthers).

The home games will include the Cardinals, 49ers, Browns, Steelers, Bears and Chargers.

The away games will include the Ravens, Bengals, Rams, Seahawks and Washington Football Team.

8. Draft order: The top 28 spots are set heading into the championship round of the playoffs:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars; 2. Detroit Lions; 3. Houston Texans; 4. New York Jets; 5. New York Giants; 6. Carolina Panthers; 7. Chicago Bears (traded to N.Y. Giants); 8. Falcons; 9. Denver Broncos; 10. Seattle Seahawks (traded to N.Y. Jets); 11. Washington Football Team; 12. Minnesota Vikings; 13. Cleveland Browns; 14. Baltimore Ravens; 15. Miami Dolphins (traded to Philadelphia); 16. Indianapolis Colts (traded to Philadelphia); 17. Los Angeles Chargers; 18. New Orleans Saints; 19. Philadelphia Eagles; 20. Pittsburgh Steelers; 21. New England Patriots 22. Las Vegas Raiders; 23. Arizona Cardinals; 24. Dallas Cowboys; 25. Buffalo Bills; 26. Tennessee Titans; 27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 28. Green Bay Packers; 29. San Francisco 49ers (traded to Miami); 30. Kansas City Chiefs; *31. Cincinnati Bengals, *32. Los Angeles Rams (traded to Detroit).

*- Subject to Super Bowl result

9. Falcons’ 2021 season-review series: We have used a heavy dose of analytics to help us break down the Falcons’ 2021 season in our eight-part series that is winding down with the secondary and the special-teams stories. Here are the links to the previous stories.

Falcons’ position-by-position analysis:

Part 1: Running backs

Part 2: Quarterbacks

Part 3: Wide receivers/Tight ends

Part 4: Offensive line

Part 5: Defensive line

Part 6: Linebackers

Part 7: Defensive backs

Part 8: Special teams

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