The Atlanta Falcons have the NFL's fourth-best offense headed into the 2018 season, according to a ranking by NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling.
The only teams ranked higher than the Falcons on Wesseling’s list were the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers respectively.
Wesseling gave the Falcons’ backfield and receiving corps A’s due to strength of returning players and additions of wide receiver Calvin Ridley and running back Ito Smith from the 2018 NFL Draft.
However, Wesseling gave the Falcons quarterback group a B-plus and offensive line a B.
“For all of the consternation over Steve Sarkisian's play-calling, Ryan's offense finished second in drive success rate and yards per drive last season,” Wesseling wrote about the quarterback group. “With better interception luck and improvement in the red zone, the NFL’s highest-paid player could find himself back in the MVP race. Schaub's physical skills began to deteriorate a half-decade ago. It's hard to believe he's still hanging on to the No. 2 job in Atlanta.”
Of the offensive line group which was given a B, Wesseling wrote the Falcons need to enhance their guard play that struggled last season due to Andy Levitre missing three games with an injury.
“(Brandon) Fusco's arrival should solidify the line, with (Jake) Matthews and (Ryan) Schraeder holding down the bookends and (Alex) Mack excelling in the pivot,” Wesseling wrote.
Wesseling's full analysis of the Falcons' offense and entire NFL offensive rankings can be read on the NFL's official website.
