2012 Atlanta Falcons: Questions Left Unanswered After Week 1

The Atlanta Falcons won 40-24 over the Chiefs during the first week of the NFL season. However, there are a couple of questions that need answering for the Falcons to be able to continue their streak of winning seasons.

It's not just the winning seasons that are at risk either. The Falcons are trying to take that next step. If they can answer the following questions positively, they should be able to not only win a playoff game, but go deep into the playoffs.

Can Matt Ryan Continue This Pace to the Best Season in Franchise History?

Matt Ryan started the season off going 23-for-31 (74.2 percent) for 299 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had three runs for 25 yards and a touchdown.

If he continues at the same pace, he would finish the season 368-for-496 (74.2 percent) for 4,784 yards, 48 touchdowns and no interceptions. 

While these numbers would be absolutely ridiculous to have, they aren't completely unattainable. Will Ryan throw around 10-15 interceptions? Probably. Will he throw 48 touchdowns? After his performance Sunday, it looks possible.

Will Julio Jones Break out Even More Than He Already Has?

Julio Jones had a tremendous game with six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns during the first week. His pace for the season would be tremendous if he can keep it up. He'd be at 96 catches, 1,728 yards and 32 touchdowns. He should level off a bit from the touchdown pace, but it's very possible that he could crush his yardage pace and be the first ever 2,000-yard receiver in a year.

Jones has a tremendous advantage right now. Not only does he play with a Pro Bowl quarterback, he has two options that should make sure he doesn't see double-teams that often. Looking at it objectively, if you double-team Julio Jones, you leave future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez in single coverage. You also leave four-time Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White in single coverage as well.

Jones should see quite a bit of single coverage and dominate this year. He has the potential to break the single-season receiving yards record that was set by Jerry Rice in 1995. If he continues on his pace, he could also challenge the touchdowns record too. Not bad for a guy in his second season as a pro.

Will the Offensive Line Be This Good Every Week in Pass Blocking?

The offensive line allowed just one sack and one hit on the franchise quarterback in the first week of the season. They also allowed just three hurries. For the total of 35 pass plays, that's a great performance by the offensive line.

However, they do need to improve in run-blocking. As the line continues to settle into its better pass-blocking techniques, Pat Hill, the new offensive line coach, will have to get them on the same page in the running game for them to be 100 percent effective.

All offensive line stats courtesy Pro Football Focus's Premium Stats (pay wall).

Can the Defense Start as Strong as It Finished?

The defense started off terribly in the first game of the season. They allowed a score on every one of the first three drives by the Chiefs. They got dominated in the run game early on in the game as well. 

However, at halftime, the defense tightened up. They didn't allow a score until garbage time when the team was up 40-17 with 10 seconds left to go. They also forced three crucial turnovers that the offense turned into 13 points. 

If the Falcons want to win more than just regular season games, they need the defense that showed up in the second half of the game to be present in the first half of every game too.

Who Will Replace Brent Grimes in Both Starting and Nickel Packages?

Brent Grimes is a top-five cornerback in the NFL when he is healthy. However, he was lost to an Achilles injury earlier in the week. It's a terrible situation for him, as he was the Falcons' franchise player.

It's also a bad situation for the team. Despite having a ton of raw talent, Chris Owens and Dominique Franks just aren't ready to replace him as starters, so Asante Samuel will have to take that role.

But in the nickel, it's going to be a four-way battle between Franks, Owens, Robert McClain and the newly-signed Terrence Johnson for the spot. Whoever can step up to the plate and be the best in actual games will win the job.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, NFL and NFL Draft. He is also the Falcons analyst at Drafttek, runs the NFL Draft Website ScarDraft.com and hosts Kvetching Draftniks Radio.

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