Packers vs Falcons: Are the Atlanta Falcons NFL's Most Disappointing Team?

On Sunday night the Atlanta Falcons blew a 14-0 lead to the Green Bay Packers at home, as they allowed the defending Super Bowl champions to score 25 unanswered points. After such a performance you have to wonder if the 2-3 Falcons are the most disappointing team in the NFL.

Before the season most people had the Falcons as a sure-fire playoff lock, and a potential favorite in the NFC. After five weeks Atlanta has shown itself to be a team that can't handle the gigantic expectations heaped on it during the preseason.

When the Falcons traded up 21 spots (from No. 27 to No. 6) in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft to take receiver Julio Jones, they did it because management felt the squad was just one play-maker away from being a Super Bowl-caliber team.

The Falcons sent the 27th, 59th and 124th picks in the 2011 Draft, and their first and fourth round picks in 2012 to the Browns for the right to select Jones.

That move clearly signaled that Atlanta thought it was one weapon away from being a favorite in the NFC. While Jones is a really nice player and should be a fantastic pro, the Falcons are still missing something.

I'm not sure exactly what is wrong, but Matt Ryan is having a tough season so far, as he has completed 120 of 196 passes for 1,302 yards, with seven touchdowns and six interceptions. His quarterback rating of 79.9 ranks 20th in the NFL. He simply has to be better.

The Falcons are loaded offensively, with Jones and Roddy White at receiver, Tony Gonzalez at tight end and Michael Turner at running back. Yet somehow Atlanta is ranked 19th in the NFL in total offense, averaging just 338.4 yards per game.

Meanwhile, the Falcons also rank 24th in the NFL in total defense, surrendering a disappointing 383.4 yards per game.

While the 1-4 Philadelphia Eagles are the most disappointing team in the NFL for me, the Falcons are nipping at their heels. Unless something changes in Atlanta, the Falcons could pull even with the Eagles for that distinction.