2014 Falcons Season Predictions
Is there any team in the NFL more poised for a bounce back season than the Atlanta Falcons? Seriously – how did this team go from perennial contender to a 4-12 season last year?
Julio Jones returns to the Falcons healthy and Steven Jackson and Matt Ryan will be out to prove all the haters wrong in 2014 – Atlanta has a ton to play for as we head into an important season for this franchise.
Will some key offseason moves and the health of a few of their core guys make that’s much of a difference? Let’s take a look.
- Atlanta Falcons Odds to win the 2015 Super Bowl XLIX 40/1
- Atlanta Falcons Odds to win the 2015 NFC Conference 22/1
- Atlanta Falcons Odds to Win the 2014 NFC South +425
For the first time in what seems to be a lifetime the Atlanta Falcons will enter a season with limited expectations and a chance to improve. It is only two seasons ago that the Falcons made it to the NFC Championship game and looked to be on the verge of a possible Super Bowl.
Those expectations fell with a resounding thud as everything went wrong for the team last year. Julio Jones missed most of the season, Roddy White never was 100% and Steven Jackson was banged up all season long.
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2014 is a chance for redemption – but temper your expectations, this team doesn’t look like a 12 or a 13 win squad. Tony Gonzalez retired and the Falcons who averaged just 77.9 yards per game last year (last in the NFL) did virtually nothing to improve the running game this year.
Steven Jackson is now 31 years old – the wrong side of 30 for NFL running backs and could continue his rapid decline as most backs do at his age. He will be the bell-cow again for Atlanta although he scares absolutely nobody at this point in time.
Matt Ryan is destined to have a better season with the return of his weapons – Harry Douglas; his most trusted target from last year is now the third option in what, on paper, looks like one of the better receiving corps. in the NFL.
Ryan’s return to form rests squarely with an offensive line that allowed a mindboggling 44 sacks last year – if he isn’t protected he will continue to be largely ineffective.
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Perhaps the Falcons biggest offseason move was the hiring of offensive line coach Mike Tice who transformed the Bears O-line and gave Jay Cutler a new lease on life. Atlanta used the No. 6 overall selection on Jake Matthews – a terrific prospect that should help out right away and they also went out and got Jon Asamoah from the Chiefs.
Both are major upgrades and both are key cogs in what Tice hopes to do with this previously horrendous line.
Atlanta’s problems weren’t only on the offensive side of the ball last year – the team was 31st against the run allowing a whopping 135.8 yards per game. But the Falcons made some moves to shore up that aspect of their game as well. Atlanta signed two key free agents – defensive ends Tyson Jackson and Paul Soliai and spent its second-round choice on Ra’Shede Hageman.
These players are upgrades for sure but not the game changers that the Falcons obviously need.
The linebacking corp. was a real issue last year but the Falcons did little to address that problem this offseason. Atlanta will go with some returning injured roster players at linebacker and Paul Worrilow who was Atlanta’s best last season. But the corp. still is not great at the end of the day.
Simply put the Falcons are poised to have one of the worst defenses in the NFL again this year – not a good sign when you have the likes of the New Orleans Saints in your own division. We have seen in recent years that without a top tier defense, teams simply don’t go that far!
Falcons Betting Prediction:
The Falcons will be better this year – duh! But the issues on this team are too huge to ignore. While I see Atlanta going Over the 7 1/2 win total Vegas has set out, I don’t seen them challenging for any sort of title this year.
The Falcons finish second in the NFC South with a 9-7 record – a step back toward respectability.
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