Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, the one-time league MVP, turned 35 in May.
There are only 12 players and eight starters remaining from the team that took the field in Super Bowl LI and had the New England Patriots on the ropes.
After two consecutive 7-9 seasons and the brain trust flipping nearly 40 percent of the roster from the end of 2019 to the opening of 2020, the Falcons' window of being legitimate Super Bowl contender appears to be closing.
Most prognosticators, based on last season and no exhibition games this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, have the Falcons projected to finish third in the NFC South and as a fringe contender for the one of the now seven playoff berths in the conference.
Ryan has embraced the change and is ready to battle with his many new – 20 – teammates.
“Each year is different, that’s for sure, one thing I’ve learned in my career, is that there is a lot of transition in this league,” Ryan said. “The team that you come back with year-in and year-out, is different. I like the group that we have. It’s a group that’s worked really hard through training camp, and I feel like we are in a good spot going into this year.”
The Falcons are set to open the season against Seattle, which has gone to the playoffs in eight of the past 10 seasons, at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII and lost the following Super Bowl. They have been eliminated in the playoffs in the divisional round or earlier in each of the past five seasons. After they lost in Super Bowl XLIX, the Falcons tabbed Dan Quinn, then Seattle’s defensive coordinator, to be their head coach.
After going to the Super Bowl in Quinn’s second season as coach, the Falcons went to the playoffs the following season and lost to the Eagles in the divisional round. In 2018 and 2019, they were eliminated early from the playoff chase after starting 1-4 and 1-7 respectively.
Ryan is familiar with the climb back to respectability. After leading the team to the brink of a Super Bowl trip after the 2012 season, the team had two losing seasons, and coach Mike Smith was fired.
“We’ve got a lot of work in front of us, so we are not worried about what could happen in January or February right now,” Ryan said. “We have to take care of business this week and keep that mindset throughout the remainder of the season.”
Ryan is confident that he can keep the Falcons' window open a little longer.
“I have a way that I’ve played the game for a long time, and I don’t think that’s changed,” Ryan said. "With age, I think it’s only gotten better. I think I’m a better decision-maker. I have more experience. I’m better situationally than I’ve ever been.
“I feel really good about where I’m at in my career. I feel like every week, I give our team a chance to go out there and win. That’s really, at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
In this year’s offseason, where the players pretty much had to coach themselves outside of virtual meetings, Quinn valued Ryan’s leadership.
“He really set himself and the team up the way he went after it,” Quinn said. “Definitely with us having a man like Matt. …That kind of leadership and experience is huge.”
While some have low expectations for the Falcons, other believe Ryan gives them a chance.
“Matt Ryan is exceptional,” said Fox analyst Mark Schlereth, who’ll work the game Sunday. “He’s a great player.”
Seattle coach Pete Carroll also is a strong supporter.
“He’s a statesman in this league as far as being a quarterback,” Carroll said. “He knows everything. He knows how to make all of the calls. All of the adjustments. All of the reads. He’s got all of the throws. He’s got a terrific group to work with. So, he’s a classic NFL quarterback. He’s played like that for a long time.”
Ryan and Quinn working together might be the Falcons' secret weapon.
“If I were looking to handicap this, I would say jump on the veteran quarterback and veteran coach who have been together,” NBC analyst Tony Dungy said. “I think they are going to have the advantage in September and early in the season.”
Ryan will have some continuity on offense, with nine of 11 starters opening the season at the same spots as they did in 2019.
“You’ve got a quarterback, veteran players who have been in the system, got the same coaching staff, those are the teams that are going to have an advantage,” Dungy said. “They are going to be tough to beat early.”
In Week 2, the Falcons play the Dallas Cowboys, who have a new coach in Mike McCarthy.
“Teams that had a lot of change in the offseason, new coaching staff, accumulated a lot of players, man I’m interested,” NBC analyst Chris Simms said. “I don’t know where that goes. There’s a lot that goes into being battle-tested as a football as a team.”
The Falcons cited their togetherness in 2019 as they battle back to go 6-2 over the second half of the season.
“Camaraderie in the locker room, I think sometimes we undervalue that stuff a little bit,” Simms said.
“I expect teams like the 49ers, the Saints, the Chiefs, Ravens and even the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks to get off to a good start. Because yes, it’s pretty much very close to the team they ended with last year. They know what to expect from each other. They are not learning a new playbook.”
While Simms didn’t mention the Falcons, they do have a veteran quarterback and coach.
“Then, yes, the quarterback thing is very real,” Simms said. “I would think the offenses for the most part, if you have a good quarterback and a good passing game, you’re going to have a severe advantage over the defenses early on.”
The last time teams entered the season without an offseason was in 2011 because of the collective-bargaining negotiations.
“I just feel that defenses are kind of like what we saw in the 2011 season, we had three 5,000-yard passers,” Simms said. “Passers and catchers didn’t have any issues hitting the ground running when the season started, and I think we are going to see that again here.”
Ryan is in the older group of quarterbacks while younger quarterbacks such as Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Buffalo’s Josh Allen represent a changing of the guard at the position.
“I look at the older quarterbacks and I’ve been around (Tom) Brady and I know how competitive he is,” NBC analyst Rodney Harrison said. “Drew Brees used to be a teammate of mine’s out in San Diego. These guys are competitive. They see these new hot young guys come through and they are getting a lot of attention. These guys have been some of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. They have a lot of pride.”
The Falcons likely will need a good start to the season to stay in the NFC South race. Ryan can then worry about facing Brady (games 14 and 16) and Brees (games 10 and 12).
“You see the way Tom plays and the energy that he brings,” Harrison said. “Drew Brees, we had a chance to cover him (and Ryan) the last two years on Thanksgiving. Just his tremendous work ethic. I spent time with him and just everything that they bring.
"These guys pay attention to the young quarterbacks and they are like, ‘Hey, don’t forget about us, we’re a little bit older and we can’t run and scramble and do the things that you can do, but we can still get it done.’”
Ryan was told about the offenses having an advantage in the 2011 season.
“I hope it goes like that,” Ryan said. “You never know how years are going to shake out. How games are going to shake out.”
Despite the uniqueness of the recent offseason, Ryan is ready.
“I feel like we are in a good spot offensively,” Ryan said. “I feel like we are in a good place going into Week 1. We’ve got the tools to put it together and be a tough opponent week-in and week-out.”
Ryan will enter the season as the seventh oldest starting quarterback in the league.
“I guess it’s always good to be in the top seven for something in the league,” Ryan quipped. “That’s always a good thing. I feel young. I feel great. I’m as excited as ever to get this season started.”
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