4 Reasons Falcons Will Make Playoffs

The Atlanta Falcons have a lot of speculation surrounding them about how their season will turn out in 2011. Of course there are plenty of analysts, bloggers and football fans everywhere who believe the Falcons will have similar success to 2010.

But there are just as many people who are raising questions about the real potential the Falcons possess. The defense gets picked on by just about everyone, and why wouldn't it? After their dismal performance against the Green Bay Packers, that seems to be the only thing anyone remembers about the Falcons last season.

Let's have a little faith in the team that finished 13-3 and won the NFC South. With a similar lineup from 2010 and some new arrivals that could make a difference, expect nothing less than a playoff appearance from the Falcons in 2011. 

1) Their Schedule

I wouldn't say Atlanta has an easy schedule, but it's nothing they can't handle. Playing the Carolina Panthers twice always helps.

The Falcons open up against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. They beat the Bears 21-14 in 2009. Both teams have certainly improved since then, but the Falcons can hang with them.

The toughest games of their schedule come within the first five weeks of the season. Atlanta plays the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers in weeks two and five respectively. Thankfully both games are at the Georgia Dome.

The Falcons beat Green Bay in the regular season last year, and of course we all remember the throttling they received from the Packers in the playoffs. We'll have to wait and see how this one goes.

A trip to Indianapolis and then two games against the New Orleans Saints, and those are the toughest matchups they have in 2011.

Their easy games consist of: Carolina(2), at Seattle, Tennessee, Minnesota, and Jacksonville. There are six games right there that I have complete confidence the Falcons can win. Are we really supposed to be afraid of Tarvaris Jackson or Matt Hasselback, especially in the Dome?

Take those six wins and say they split the rest of their season, you end up with a record of 11-5. That seems to be the standard prediction right now. They can get to 12 or 13 if they really step things up—I'm looking at you secondary—but 11-5 will be plenty to get in the playoffs. 

2) No. 2

Enough of the talk about Matt Ryan's arm. What more do you want from the guy (other than a Super Bowl)?

The coming of Ryan to Atlanta also brought a winning atmosphere. He has lead Atlanta to three straight winning seasons, a feat that has never been accomplished for this franchise. 

Last year was Ryan's best year yet. He threw for 3,705 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading the Falcons to their first division championship since 2004. Yet Ryan still receives criticism. Apparently he doesn't have a strong enough arm to win in the NFL.

The biggest complaint from last season was a lack of the long ball. Ryan averaged 6.5 yards per completion, ranking him near the bottom of the league. If you watch the Falcons play though, you will see that this is how their offense works.

Mike Smith runs a conservative, balanced attack. Atlanta averaged 36 passes and 31 rushing attempts a game last season. Balanced, like I said.

Ryan also has a new weapon this year in Julio Jones. They've already shown they have decent chemistry in the preseason, so with a little more work they could develop into a great tandem. 

Jones and Harry Douglas have some wheels so don't be surprised if the Falcons take some deep shots. They obviously know they aren't a big play team, but they do want to work on it.

Ryan took them to 13-3 last season, so I would expect him to deliver a similar record this time around. He's determined and loves being the leader of the Falcons.

3) New Additions

Julio Jones is the first name that comes to mind when anyone thinks of new faces on the Falcons. They gave up a lot to get him. It was a gamble, but they expect it to pay off.

As mentioned earlier, Matt Ryan already seems to have a good rapport with Jones. Ryan targeted him 13 times in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, three more times than Roddy White. Don't expect this to happen every single game, it's obvious he and the team just want to get Jones going early. He will be a vital part of this offense though. 

Jones can create space for other receivers—primarily for White—and provide some of that big play talk we keep hearing about. 

Ray Edwards signed this offseason to add some more depth to the defensive line. Yes I know, he played with three Pro-Bowlers for the Minnesota Vikings. But he's still a tenacious defender that can get after the quarterback, and he won't be playing next to slouches in Atlanta.

Edwards has recorded his fair share of sacks in five years in the NFL. The Falcons expect no less this season. He didn't look impressive in his first preseason game against the Steelers, but he showed a lot more against the Baltimore Ravens. He was giving Tyrod Taylor everything he could handle. Edwards is probably just getting used to the new team, right?

Jacquizz Rodgers is another rookie that can provide some explosiveness. If you didn't see him break Paul Kruger's ankles last night I suggest you go find that clip right now. Rodgers has that ability with his small stature. If he gets out in the open, look out.

Kelvin Hayden and James Sanders were literally just added to the Falcons' roster. These two provide some playoff experience to a secondary that could really use it. Hayden returned an interception for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI several years back, basically closing out the game for the Indianapolis Colts. He's dealt with injuries in recent years that have kept him off the field.

Sanders has been a good contributor for the New England Patriots, but they have seemed to always find someone to replace him as a starter. These two guys will benefit the Falcons right away. 

4) Run Defense

You have to like the run defense for the Falcons. It's not the absolute best in the league, but it is definitely a solid part of this team.

They allowed 106 rushing yards per game last season, 10th fewest in the NFL. That doesn't look amazing like the Pittsburgh Steelers 63 yards allowed per game, but it got the job done.

I'm expecting greater things to come when the 2011 regular season begins. Take a look at the stats from the preseason.

Game 1 vs. Miami: 27 carries for 63 yards.

Game 2 at Jacksonville: 26 carries for 55 yards.

Game 3 at Pittsburgh: 28 carries for 96 yards.

Game 4 vs. Baltimore: 23 carries for 74 yards.

Now I know it's preseason, but it's still something to be excited about. The best an opposing team did was average 3.4 yards per carry.

There are going to be some more talented runners to face during the regular season. The Falcons have the talent to limit the damage running backs can do.

The pass defense is another story.