Atlanta Falcons: Week 2 Win Proves Matt Ryan and Co. Are Serious Contenders

Sunday night's big win over the Eagles showed that the Falcons are legitimate contenders for not only the playoffs but also big contenders for the Super Bowl title.

Last season the Falcons exploded onto the NFL scene by going 13-3, posting the best regular season record in the competitive NFC only to lose to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

The Falcons made some offseason moves in hopes to get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl for the first time in a long time.

5. The Atlanta Falcons' Schedule

The Atlanta Falcons have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL as they and the other NFC South teams got paired up with the NFC North division.

This means the Falcons have to play the Saints and Buccaneers twice and also have to play the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions each once.

Just take a look at the Falcons' schedule; there are not many cupcake games for them. This, however, could be a blessing for the Falcons.

If they make the playoffs, they would have played some of the best competition in the regular season preparing themselves for the tough playoffs.

4. Offensive Weapons

Roddy White, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and Julio Jones are all big-time playmakers.

When an offense has two big and athletic receivers, a running back that is one of the hardest to bring down and a tight end who will go down as one of the best in NFL history, not many defenses are going to be able to consistently stop them.

I wish the best to opposing defenses because stopping the Falcons' offense is going to be one difficult task.

3. Offensive Balance

Unlike some of the other top teams in the league, the Atlanta Falcons have phenomenal offensive balance. The Falcons offense is at its best when Turner receives around 20 carries and Matt Ryan throws roughly 30 passes.

This balance makes it almost impossible for opposing defenses to completely stop the Falcons' offense because if they manage to stop Turner, the Falcons can air it out with Matt Ryan and all the weapons he has around him and vise versa.

This makes the Falcons a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

2. Defensive Line Pressure

The Falcons spent some money on the defensive line in the offseason, and it is paying dividends for them. In the two games so far, the Falcons managed to sack Jay Cutler five times and knock Michael Vick out of the game.

John Abraham, Ray Edwards and Kroy Biermann are consistently getting pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, and this aspect of the game was what the Falcons lacked last season.

Opposing quarterbacks better be ready when they face the Falcons this season.

1. Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan has proved that he can be clutch, hence his nickname "Matty Ice." He also has been maturing as a quarterback at a steady, consistent rate causing many people to compare him to the likes of Peyton Manning.

Everyone knows that the NFL is a quarterback driven league and that a team cannot win the Super Bowl unless their quarterback is more than just a game manager.

Ryan is one of the best in the NFC, and this is the top reason why the Falcons are more than just playoff contenders.