6 Reasons Why This Season Is Huge for the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of a very important season. They are looking to become the first team in the NFC South to be repeat winners of a division title. Along with this, QB Matt Ryan is still searching for his first playoff victory.

This season will prove to be the most important the Falcons have undergone during the Matt Ryan era.

Julio Jones and His Development

The Atlanta Falcons made a huge statement by drafting wide receiver Julio Jones. The Falcons traded away five total draft picks to the Cleveland Browns to move into the sixth overall spot in the 2011 draft.

The Falcons traded their first, second and fourth round picks in the 2011 draft and their first and fourth round picks in the 2012 draft. That's a large share of draft picks to trade for any player.

Thomas Dimitroff, the Atlanta Falcons' general manager, made this move with obvious expectations for Julio Jones. When an NFL team gives up that many draft picks for one player, that player is expected to perform and progress early on.

Julio Jones needs to have a productive first season in the NFL. His raw talent is obvious and that talent isn't going to disappear. The biggest skill to critique Jones on this season is the development of his knowledge of the game.  

If Julio Jones can quickly learn to be a smart and productive wide receiver in the NFL, the moves Thomas Dimitroff made will be worth the cost paid in the long run.    

The Secondary Has to Step Up

It's no secret that the Atlanta Falcons secondary experienced troubles in the 2010 season. Last year the Falcons passing defense was ranked 22nd overall in the regular season.

If the Falcons expect to win in the playoffs this season, the pass defense issues must be solved. So far in the 2011 regular season, the pass defense hasn't looked any better. After two weeks, Atlanta is currently ranked 27th overall in pass defense.

Despite the addition of Ray Edwards to improve the Falcon's pass rush, zone coverage is still proving to be a mess for the Falcons this season. Blown coverage in the secondary is a common occurrence for the Falcons.

During the Week 2 matchup of the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, the Falcons' secondary was beaten up just as it was during Week 1. The best way to show how badly the  Falcons' secondary is performing is by looking at QB Mike Kafka's stats from the game.

Kafka is serving as Michael Vick's backup while Vince Young is dealing with an injury. Mike Kafka, until Week 2, had never played in a regular season NFL game. However, he entered the game when Vick left with a concussion late in the third quarter.

Kafka threw for 72 yards while completing seven of his nine attempts. Kafka was able to make these completions because of blown coverage. Had it not been for the Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin dropping a well thrown fourth down pass from Kafka, this game may have not been a loss for the Eagles.

The Falcons' secondary must solve their problems this year. The fans, coaches and players all have high expectations for this season. However, until the Falcons' pass defense improves, these expectations will be tough to meet.  The Falcons must quickly figure out what's wrong in their secondary and fix it.

Tony Gonzalez Is Aging

The Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez is a well known name around the league. His Hall of Fame caliber career has been nothing short of amazing. Gonzalez came over from the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009 and has been a key factor in the Atlanta Falcons' offense ever since.

However, Gonzalez is 35 years old. Despite being one of the greatest players of all time, aging will affect him just like any other player. It's true that Gonzalez is known for keeping his body in top shape. Being a top tight end in the NFL at 35 years old is proof of that.

Still, the Atlanta Falcons need to get the ball rolling while they have Tony Gonzalez playing well. With each season he will get slower and weaker. This season is the perfect season for the Falcons to get a ticket to the Super Bowl with Gonzalez on the roster.

Finding the Explosive Play

The Falcons struggled to utilize explosive plays in the 2010 regular season. QB Matt Ryan's longest pass of the 2010 season went for only 46 yards. If Atlanta can't produce more explosive plays this season, they won't reach their full potential and they should definitely be concerned.

Drafting wide receiver Julio Jones is a huge help for the Falcons. Atlanta needs to spread the field with Jones and produce explosive plays more often. However, these explosive plays need to come through the air and the ground both.

Spreading the field with Julio Jones and Roddy White will help Michael Turner put in more consistent and longer runs. Until the Falcons can produce explosive plays, it will be difficult to beat the top NFC teams.  

Seeking a Playoff Win

The Atlanta Falcons began a new chapter in their franchise when they selected Matt Ryan in the 2008 NFL draft. Ryan has been a solid quarterback from the start of his career. However, a playoff win is still a key victory that he lacks.

The Falcons had their greatest playoff opportunity under Matt Ryan last season. Atlanta secured home field advantage and a Round 1 bye in the 2010 playoffs. However, they fell short easily and lost 48-21 against the Green Bay Packers in Round 2.

This was a huge disappointment for the Falcons and their fans. The 2011 season is almost a make-or-break season for the Falcons in the playoffs.

If Matt Ryan and company can't get the job done in this postseason, concerns will only rise. It's time for the Atlanta Falcons to show they have what it takes to win an NFC Championship.

The NFC South Is Getting Better

The NFC South is becoming a better division each season. The New Orleans Saints have obviously been good for a while under Super Bowl winning QB Drew Brees. That isn't going to change any time soon. The other NFC South teams are getting better, as well.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their young QB Josh Freeman are making serious headway in becoming a contender for a division title. With a QB that is learning quickly and a new coach laying his foundation, they will surely give the Falcons a tough two games each season for years to come.

The Carolina Panthers are also a team on the rise once again. We all remember what happened last time the Panthers fired their head coach and started over. They ended up in the Super Bowl two years after going 1-15.

Cam Newton is already impressing the critics and if he really is the answer in Carolina, the Panthers will put up a hard fight in the coming seasons.

Atlanta needs to take advantage of winning the division again before it becomes an all out brawl. This won't be an easy task by any means since it's already a stiff competition. After all, the NFC South has never had a repeat division winner.

Atlanta needs to be the first to repeat a division title win before it becomes more difficult than it already is.