Atlanta Falcons: Ten Questions That Will Shape the 2010 Season

The Atlanta Falcons achieved their first back-to-back winning seasons in 2009, ending a franchise-long “curse” as it had been perceived by followers of the franchise.

While the fans were happy to be done with the “curse," the Falcons organization expressed disappointment in falling short of their goal to make the playoffs.

The Falcons have their sights set on higher goals than simply winning more games than they lose, and here are 10 questions that will impact the Falcons' chances of achieving those goals in 2010.

Will the Falcons rediscover the big play in the passing game?

In 2009, I believe that Tony Gonzalez, while playing outstanding football, was somewhat detrimental to the mindset of Mike Mularkey.

The Falcons simply stopped throwing the ball downfield.

Some of that had to do with protection issues, but frankly, early in the season, the Falcons did not take shots downfield even in games where the offense was successful.

The loss of Harry Douglas and the inability of Norwood to stay on the field greatly affected the game plan, possibly more that it should have.

The first Carolina game might have actually contributed to the Falcons' increasingly conservative nature in the passing game because Matt Ryan was so perfect on third downs in that game.

After that performance, Mularkey may have envisioned the Falcons passing game as a premier dink-and-dunk unit.

That was not a sustainable strategy for the Falcons’ personnel.

Will John Abraham bounce back in 2010?

Statistically, John Abraham had an off year in 2009.

He claims that he was playing as well as he ever had, and frankly, I believe that's close to the truth.

After the Miami game, Abe was doubled often but still applied heavy pressure at times during the year.

Not helping matters was the fact that BVG was dropping him into coverage frequently.

Regardless of the reasons for the lower sack total, the Falcons need more sacks from him in 2010 if the defense is going to be successful.

Can the Falcons find some productivity from a DT other than Jonathan Babineaux?  

Between a recovering Peria Jerry, Corey Peters, and developing players Vance Walker and Thomas Johnson, you’d think the chances are pretty good.

It has to happen.

If the Falcons can’t make teams pay for double teaming Abraham every pass play, it’s going to be a long year for the Falcons secondary, no matter how much they've improved.

Is Brent Grimes really starting material, or did he just feast on bad QBs at the end of the year?

The turning point for Grimes was a game considered one of his worst—the second New Orleans game.

He was called for pass interference on two occasions.

The first call was on a slant pattern where he lightly placed his hand on the receiver’s hip as the ball arrived.

It was actually a great play and a horrible call because he didn't interfere with the receiver in any way by touching him, a requirement for a pass interference call.

The second call was the bomb that was much discussed among Falcons and Saints fans, and it negated an interception by Grimes.  I was one of the few Falcons fans that argued that Grimes had leaned on the guy too much and that it was a good call.  Other than leaning on the guy a little too much on that play, Grimes played an outstanding game. 

Most importantly, he learned from his mistake.

Tampa ran the exact same play on him in week 17 and Grimes didn't lean on the WR and made the interception.

That's what you want to see, a guy not making the same mistake twice.

My prediction—halfway through the 2010 season, opposing QBs are going to scan the Falcon defense, and throwing at Dunta Robinson is not going to feel like such a bad option.

Will Brian VanGorder grow as a defensive coordinator?

One thing the Falcons really need to work on, and this is all on Van Gorder, is giving away their blitz schemes prior to the snap.

They did it the entire season in 2009.

A perfect example is the Miles Austin 59-yard TD on the deep crossing pattern.

I watched “Anatomy of a Play” earlier this morning and that was the featured play. The camera caught Tony Romo after the play saying “I have to give it to the coaches on that one. They told us we would see that look, and the play worked exactly the way they said it would."

Romo also knew exactly which players were blitzing (SLB, MLB, CB) on the play, which is the reason it was picked up perfectly.

BVG has to be more careful about not running the same blitz schemes out of the same alignment from week to week. It’s a big reason why the Falcons blitzes were largely unsuccessful last year and contributed to an average secondary looking like a terrible secondary.

Can the Falcons find better consistency in the run game in 2010?  

Many will tell you that the Falcons' drop off in the run game last year was due to the tougher schedule, and I agree to a large extent; still, the Falcons have to find more consistency in the run game if they're going to be a contender if “run first” or “smash mouth” is the identity that Smith and Mularkey want for the offense.

Who came up short last year?  Was Turner slow with his first step in the early season?  Did the line underperform?  Was the playcalling too predictable? 

I think all of these things were true at times. Don't be surprised if somebody on the OL loses their job early on if the Falcons struggle again in the run game.

Is this the year that somebody takes the starting role from Michael Jenkins?

I have heard the coaches say they are happy with Michael Jenkins.  Frankly, I just don't believe them.  I think they're waiting for one of the young prospects to take his job, and I think somebody will in 2010.

If you want to have a Super Bowl-contending offense, you need to have skill position players at every position capable of hurting the defense.  Except for the occasional freak play, Jenkins has not shown that.

Jenkins has served as the Falcons' second receiver for five seasons and been credited with 55 career starts, but he's never achieved 85 receiving yards in a game.  You'd be hard pressed to find another WR in the history of the NFL with so many opportunities that failed to achieve 85 yards receiving in a game. 

The Falcons need more out of that position, and I think they will find somebody to give it to them in 2010.  I think that guy is probably Harry Douglas.

Can Jerious Norwood stay healthy in 2010?

I don't mean healthy enough to come in and return a kick or two, I mean healthy enough to actually play consistently and make a tangible contribution.

When healthy, the guy is a unique talent, truly special.  We're talking about a guy that led the entire NFL in yards per carry by a RB in 2006 and 2007.

His inability to play at 100 percent last year, along with the loss of Harry Douglas, played a major role in hurting the Falcons' big strike ability in 2010. 

Based on previous experiences, Falcons fans are probably not that optimistic about his prospects, but we're keeping our fingers crossed.

Will Sean Weatherspoon be an upgrade over Stephen Nicholas or Mike Peterson?

When I first looked at video of Sean Weatherspoon,  I was put off by two qualities:

First, he wasn't a devastating tackler for a LB his size considered a first round LB.  Second, I didn't really like the fact that he put on a celebration every time he was in the vicinity of making a play.

I will admit that second point biased my opinion of his play.

When I went back and took a second look, something else stood out.  The guy is extremely agile for a LB and outstanding at avoiding blockers.   While most people in Falcon nation think he's an upgrade in the passing game, I think his superior first step and agility will be an upgrade for the Falcons in the run game, as well.

Weatherspoon is nearly always in position to get in on the tackle when the other team runs the ball.   

I think the guy has great football instincts as well, and he'll be an upgrade from day one, regardless of whose job he takes.

Can Matt Ryan take the next step?

Statistically, Matt Ryan took a step back in 2009.

The topic of whether or not he truly regressed is a hotly debated topic among Falcons fans and media alike, but most everyone agrees that he's going to have to do more in 2010 if the Falcons are to make a deep playoff run.

If Harry Douglas and Jerious Norwood can stay healthy, that will improve Matt’s prospects greatly, but ultimately his development rests on one question: Is there a champion within Matt Ryan?

I believe there is a champion within Matt Ryan.  Matt Ryan has three qualities that you love in a QB: 1). He loves football; 2). He learns more from his mistakes; 3). He wants to be the guy responsible for the success or failure of the offense.

You will never see a guy make an excuse for anything. That's the stuff champions are made of, and I believe the adversity of 2009 will be channeled into success for Matt Ryan in 2010.

The best of Matt Ryan in 2010 may well mean the best Falcons team in more than a decade.  His development is the most important question the Falcons will have answered in 2010.