Who Will Stop the Atlanta Falcons Offense?

The Atlanta Falcons offense had a remarkable season in 2008, finishing 10th in the NFL in points and sixth in yards, while breaking in a rookie quarterback and left tackle. 

They are only getting started.

The Falcons addressed the one and only deficiency on the offense on Thursday in the most spectacular of ways by acquiring the greatest receiving tight end to ever put on a football uniform. The addition of Tony Gonzalez completes an offense that has seemingly overnight accumulated a devastating amount of talent.

Let us take stock of that talent.

Matt Ryan

The NFL Rookie of the Year showed poise and leadership from the first snap in 2008, and he threw for over 200 yards in nine straight games during the Falcons' playoff push. 

Michael Turner

The free agent acquisition finished second in the NFL in rushing yards and TDs while leading the league in carries. Turner proved to be every bit of the power running terror the Falcons expected when they signed him to a lucrative free agent contract.

Roddy White

Roddy validated his breakout 2007 season with an even better year in 2008. Roddy made his first Pro Bowl while finishing ninth in the league in receptions, fourth in receiving yards, and 13th in the league in yards per reception. 

Michael Jenkins

The former first round pick had the best year of his career as the complementary possession receiver to Roddy White, while having a starring role in two of the most memorable plays of the season. He scored a 62-yard TD on a skinny post on Matt Ryan’s first career NFL pass, and he made a clutch sideline grab against the Chicago Bears.

Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez has already had the best career of any tight end in NFL history by a wide margin, and he’s rarely had surrounding talent in the Kansas City passing game to take pressure off of him. The Falcons have a bruising running game and a superstar wide receiver, which will free space for Tony to operate.

The Offensive Line

The Falcons' offensive line is a mix of young high draft picks and young undrafted free agent tough guys with the token savvy veteran in the middle. The group really came together in 2008 and helped the team finish second in the NFL in rushing while establishing a franchise record for the fewest sacks allowed in a season with 17.

The Extras

The Falcons have absurdly talented players coming off the bench at the offensive skill positions. Jerious Norwood, the backup to Michael Turner, is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. He led the league in yards per rushing attempt in his rookie season among RBs with at least 80 carries. 

Just to show it wasn’t a fluke, he led the league in that stat again in 2007 before “slumping” to fourth in the league in 2008.

In the passing game, the Falcons have the electrifying Harry Douglas working in the slot. The Falcons broke Harry in slowly in 2008, but he showed the ability to completely take over a football game in Week 12 against the Panthers, when he scored a TD on a reverse, converted a critical third down with a 69-yard reception, and then sealed the game with an electrifying 61-yard punt return TD. 

There are very few players in the NFL riding the pine with that kind of ability to take over a game.

The numbers that the Falcons' young offense put up last year while learning a completely new offense were impressive, to say the least, but we have not seen anything yet. With the only change being the insertion of the greatest tight end in NFL history, this team is going to blow up scoreboards in 2009, and for years to come.