2009 Atlanta Falcons Look To Do Something No Falcons Team Has Done Before

Falcons fans have been through this before.

Over the years, they have hoped for another successful season after doing well the previous year, but they are disappointed the following year as the Falcons fail to take the next step. Anybody that follows the Falcons knows that they have never put back-to-back winning seasons since the franchise was established in 1966.

But this year is different. After having one of the most surprising seasons in franchise history last year, the expectations for the Falcons are higher than ever. The reason for that has to do with second-year quarterback Matt Ryan who had one of the best rookie seasons and NFL rookie quarterback can have.

Another reason is Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff having a successful 2008 season and having a great off-season to follow-up highlight by trading for tight end Tony Gonzalez.

But is has been the same story for years, so why should this be any different? The Falcons have a tougher 2009 schedule than the schedule they endured in 2008, but if they are able to stay healthy, there is no reason that they can’t have another winning season.

Here’s a look at a couple of seasons where the Falcons had a chance to put together back-to-back winning seasons, but came up short.

In 1992 the Jerry Glanville-led Falcons were getting ready for another successful season as they reached the second round of the playoffs in 1991 losing to the Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins. But after going 3-5 in their first eight games, they could never recover and finished the year 6-10.

In 1999 the Falcons were coming off a Super Bowl appearance and looked to be the favorites to win the NFC once again.

But when Jamal Anderson went down with a knee injury in the second game of the season, that was it for the birds because they had no running game and Chris Chandler could not carry the team by himself. Because of that, the Falcons finished the year with a 5-11 record.

After the 2004 season where the Falcons reached the NFC Championship game in which they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 2005 looked to be that year where they finally get that second consecutive winning season.

With three games left, Atlanta was 8-5 and needed to win at least two of the final three games to secure a playoff spot. But they lost to Chicago and Tampa Bay and got blasted by Carolina to finish the year 8-8.

Now it’s 2009 and the Falcons have something to prove to the city and the NFL that they are no longer a franchise that buckles under the pressure. They will rise above the occasion and become one of the premier teams in the NFL.

Will they go 11-5 or 12-4 this season? Probably not, but if they are able to win nine or 10 games, it’s safe to say that the Falcons are headed in the right direction.