The offensive line is constantly being reshuffled because of injuries. A shaky defense lost two of its leaders. They can’t win on the road.
Familiar? This season is starting to sound a lot like last season for the Falcons, who fell from Super Bowl hopefuls to 4-12 because of circumstances similar to what they face now.
But the results don’t have to be the same for the Falcons (2-2) this time.
For one, having so many injuries last season prepared them to deal with them again. The Falcons had been lucky with injuries under coach Mike Smith until last season.
“One of the things that is going to help us is last year,” quarterback Matt Ryan said. “Guys having the opportunity to play and having that experience under their belts, I think that’s huge for us.”
There are other reasons to believe the Falcons can avoid the kind of tailspin that doomed them in 2013. Here are five:
1. Julio Jones and Roddy White are healthy, and new addition Devin Hester is helping
The Falcons were 1-4 with Jones before he was injured in 2013 but competitive in the losses. Jones looks better than ever now.
White was ineffective while playing on a high ankle sprain early last season. He’s healthy now and motivated for a Super Bowl run in the twilight of his career.
Hester has added another threat from scrimmage and on returns. The Falcons can win shootouts with him, Ryan, Jones, White and Harry Douglas.
“We’ve got to change a lot of short gains into long ones,” White said.
2. The defense doesn’t have to be great
The Falcons proved it during the 2012 season and again in the season-opening victory over the Saints.
The Falcons finished 12-4 in 2012 with a defense that ranked 29th in yards allowed per play, 29th in rushing yards allowed per play and 27th in sack percentage. This season they are ranked 29th, 22nd and 31st, respectively, in those categories.
They still won in 2012 because they forced a lot of turnovers, especially in the red zone. That’s also how they defeated the Saints on Sept. 7.
The Falcons’ defense hasn’t been a total failure thus far. Turnovers salvaged the Saints game. Cincinnati hurt the Falcons with a couple big plays, one of them on a gadget play, but they scored just 24 points. The defense dominated the Buccaneers.
3. The cornerbacks can cover
The Falcons may have to devote more “assets” to stop the run, as coach Mike Smith calls extra defenders. If so, then second-year cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford have proven they can be trusted in coverage without much help.
The team will surely miss safety William Moore’s veteran leadership but pass coverage isn’t his strength. There’s a chance his replacement, Kemal Ishmael, can be better in coverage while also providing sure tackling in run support.
“We just have to adjust,” Trufant said. “We have to try to fill the void.”
4. The offensive line can still be OK
After the unit was among the worst in the league last season, the Falcons had fashioned a functional offensive line this season. That was before center Joe Hawley and right tackle Lamar Holmes suffered season-ending injuries at Minnesota on Sunday.
Certainly the line will have to adjust to yet another new combination but the talent swap could be a wash.
Center Peter Konz was an effective right guard as a rookie in 2012 and says he’s stronger and more confident now. Gabe Carimi can be at least as good as Holmes, who was improving this season after a poor 2013.
“Our offensive line was off to a fast start and now it’s some new guys moving in there and the expectations remain the same,” offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said.
5. The NFC South is weaker
The Falcons were swept by the Saints and Panthers in 2013. The Panthers (12-4) ended up winning the division and the Saints (11-5) earned a wild-card berth. Now neither the Saints nor the Panthers are looking so good and Tampa Bay still looks bad.
The Falcons are already 2-0 in the division with victories over the Saints and Buccaneers and their rivals have their own issues. The Saints (1-2) have as many defensive problems as the Falcons. The Panthers (2-2) were blown out by Pittsburgh and Baltimore in their past two games while scoring a total of three touchdowns.
The Falcons may be able to win South with nine victories, which would require going just 7-5 the rest of the way.
About the Author
