2008 Atlanta Falcons In Depth Season Review and Playoff Outlook

It was a sweet and sour afternoon for Falcons fans today. While the Birds pulled off a 31-27 win over a victory-hungry St. Louis squad, the Carolina Panthers avoided a fourth quarter meltdown to clinch the NFC South title and a No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff configuration. That last second field goal to win in the Big Easy happened simultaneously with the fourth down incompletion that clinched the Falcon's victory. Instead of having a No. 2 seed going into the playoffs, the Falcons will begin their improbable postseason at 9-7 Arizona.

I've made my argument before, and I will make it again, I'm not too much of a fan of the NFL playoff seeding scenarios. I'm glad the Falcons clinched a playoff spot, but shouldn't Arizona be visiting us? The playoff picture didn't turn out quite as out of whack as I projected in my last article, but there still seems to be a problem with us having to go into Arizona next weekend (and yes, you can argue with me, but take a look at 11-5 New England; They are missing the playoffs, and I guarantee you nobody in the Massachusetts area is watching Sunday Night Football this evening).

Despite my subtle complaints, I am a humble Falcons fan and could not be more ecstatic over the 11-5 season they have had this year. I expected anything from 6-10 to 8-8, and I definitely did not see Matt Ryan having the type of year he has had (rookie quarterbacks just don't have that type of success—it's science). Instead Ryan has thrown for over 3,000 yards and had the type of MVP passing performances that have been on Michael Vick's Christmas wish list for years.

I honestly believe the fiasco that was last year with the departure of Bobby Petrino and the Michael Vick situation were beneficial for the Falcon's team. This young team may not have known how to handle business yet, but after last season's miserable debacle, they certainly learned how not to. Having a coward for a head coach is the same as having an ice cream man without freezers in his truck, it just isn't right. Michael Vick was popular and athletic, but he clearly wasn't the right guy. I always wondered why having a quarterback with a QB rating that mirrored Forrest Gump's IQ score was a good thing. The Falcons definitely needed to head in the opposite direction this season, and they rightfully did just that.

Mike Smith and Matt Ryan were the right guys too. Ryan, as a rookie, brought a blue collar mentality to the team. Despite his weekly success, Ryan would still try to convince himself he wasn't the savior of the franchise but just a really lucky guy in a great situation. No Matt, our Bird's were downright awful last year; You are the savior. We went from a disconnected head coach, who players thought was socially retarded, to a guy in Mike Smith, who players absolutely love to play for.

This team learned to play humble and focused. They never got a big head, never had players on the news for making comments detrimental to other players (*cough* DeAngelo Hall), and most certainly played with that blue collar mentality brought over by Ryan, Smith, and a perennial spell back in Michael Turner.

One of their proudest statistics was a 7-1 home record. The fans rebuilding would prove just as important as the rebuilding of the team in 2008. Watching the game today, I noticed the Georgia Dome was full and electric! As Ryan's first professional pass was thrown for a touchdown back in Week 1 here in Atlanta, I would guess there were maybe 48,000 people in the stands. (The Georgia Dome holds roughly 70,000 spectators.) This is not a fair weather town, but fans here in Atlanta know sometimes buying tickets is a bad investment. Fans here in Atlanta care about the Falcons success, and this year, has been cherished by many.

The Falcons also competitive in all five of their losses, which is a detail I believe is important when diagnosing this team as a playoff stud or dud. Atlanta's first two losses at Tampa and Carolina were not as bad as the 24-9 scores indicated. The offense was productive in those games, and the difference was simply field goals as opposed to touchdowns. Both games featured 17-9 scores in the fourth quarters. Many would argue Atlanta could have won the game in Philadelphia (who, by the way, just swamped Dallas 44-6) if it were not for the botched call at the end of the game. Atlanta also had very late leads in the fourth against Denver and New Orleans. This team will stay competitive in every game.

Also, the Falcon's proved they can win any way possible this season. Matt Ryan's remarkable last second heroics against Chicago will go down in Atlanta sports lore forever. Atlanta pulled a defensive battle out against Tampa Bay three weeks ago, and also prevailed in shootouts vs. the Saints and Panthers in the Georgia Dome. Today against the Rams, as well as last week against the Vikings, they proved they could win ugly. Atlanta had three turnovers today, as well as a neutral offense last week in Minnesota and still won both contests.

In today's six-play final drive to beat the Rams, they proved a quick strike isn't asking too much. Also, Atlanta was able to pound the rock and limit Oakland to under 100 yards as they won in the bay area 24-0. The Falcons are very versatile, and I do not believe can be forced to adapt in game situations. Instead, all season Atlanta has forced teams to adapt to them.

The Falcons put out some solid individual efforts this season as well, despite the team first attitude. Matt Ryan had arguably the best regular season for a rookie in NFL history. Michael Turner went from a backup to a Pro Bowler as well as finishing as the NFL's second leading rusher behind Adrian Peterson (who, in my opinion, is the most talented running back not named Barry Sanders to ever play the game, and I mean that). Roddy White had the greatest receiving season in Falcon's history this year, and did it all without ever opening his mouth like most super star receivers do (one of the reasons why I believe White is still flying under the radar). Also, John Abraham had a remarkable season and was without a doubt snubbed a spot in Honolulu. Here's a look at these stat-busting performances:

Matt Ryan—3,440 yards passing - 61.1 completion percentage - 16 touchdowns - 11 interceptions - 87.7 rating.

Michael Turner—376 attempts - 1699 yards - 4.5 yards per attempt - 17 rushing touchdowns

Roddy White—88 receptions - 1382 yards - 7 touchdowns

John Abraham—16 sacks

A few other individuals who I thought had great years were as following:

Jerious Norwood—As a kick returner and spell back / wild-bird quarterback, Norwood brings big play ability and electric top end speed and agility to every play. Norwood is without a doubt the most exciting Falcon to watch.

Harry Douglas—Douglas, who assumed the slot receiver role this year, made numerous big plays for Matt Ryan. Douglas showed off some fantastic hands and no fear when running routes over the middle. For Ryan, having a receiver like Douglas makes it a lot easier to decide to throw the ball down between the hash marks. Douglas also replaced Adam Jennings at punt return this season and averaged 11.9 yards a return, which included a touchdown return against Carolina.

Michael Jenkins—Jenkins may not have had the season White had this year but rarely did he drop a ball, and for the first time ever proved to coaches and quarterbacks that he can be a very reliable third down receiver. Jenkins caught 50 balls for 777 yards and three touchdowns, and is a reliable target at 6'5".

THE ENTIRE OFFENSIVE LINE!—In both of the past two seasons, Atlanta allowed 47 sacks in 16 games. This season, Atlanta allowed only 17. They also accounted for 2443 rushing yard, which going into week 17, was second best in the league. 

Michael Koenen—Atlanta just broke the single season record for punt return yardage allowed with their win vs. the Rams, and it was all because of this very underrated punter.

Jason Elam—Connected on 29 of 31 kicks this season, which included the game winner vs. the Bears.

Overall Review:

Offensively, the Birds was on fire this year and were more fun to watch than they have been in a very long time. The Falcons combined the potent air attack of Matt Ryan and Roddy White with the bruising running game of Turner and the electric big play ability of Norwood. A consistent offensive line and great play from tight end Justin Peelle as a blocker and receiver also made this offense churn. I honestly don't see many areas where the Falcon's had problems this season and don't expect a lot of change heading into next year.

Defensively, the Falcons were not a statistical powerhouse. However, they made big plays and were opportunistic when they needed to be. I can count at least three crucial goal line stands that were made this year, and the Falcons were noticeably very good at getting to the quarterback this year, averaging exactly two sacks a game. Besides John Abraham, Jonathan Babineaux and Chauncey Davis proved to be very solid defensive lineman for the Falcons. Grady Jackson is also a force to have in the middle as well. Keith Brooking lead the team in tackles again this year with 102, while rookie middle linebacker Curtis Lofton put together 94. Safeties Eric Coleman and Lawyer Milloy both had 95 tackles, and I really hope can return to the team next season. While Dominique Foxworth came in and played very solid at corner, Chris Houston had a hit or miss type year. While Houston, the second year corner out of Arkansas, made big plays, he also was a primary target for opposing quarterbacks and receivers. I believe Houston can be good but adding another experienced and solid corner like Foxworth in the offseason wont hurt. Von Hutchins, who has been on IR all year long, could return next year to solidify this less than dangerous pass defense.

On special teams Atlanta definitely improved. The addition of Harry Douglas as a punt returner proved to be a fantastic move, and Jerious Norwood proved again today how valuable he is as a kick returner. Jason Elam and Koenen also had remarkable years.

Here is an overall depth chart review (with grades).

QB Matt Ryan (A)—Great year for any quarterback, a remarkable one for a rookie!

TB Michael Turner (A+)—From the heels of Tomlinson to the NFL's second leading rusher; need I say more?

FB Ovie Mughelli (A)—Used stricktly as a blocking back, you cannot ignore how valuable he was to this running game.

WR Roddy White (A)—Incredible year for White, who quietly goes about his business. And don't blame White for the loss in Denver, even if he had caught the ball, he still would have been out of bounds!

WR Michael Jenkins (B+)—Jenkins seems to have found a medicine for his case of the drops. Very reliable target for Ryan.

TE Justin Peelle (A)—Peelle isnt a superstar but did his job to perfection as a receiver and blocker this year.

OL Tyson Clabo, Harvey Dahl, Todd McClure, Justin Blalock, Sam Baker, and Todd Weiner (A+)—I had to list all of these guys together; what an awesome year these guys had!

DE John Abraham (A-)—Abraham finally had that year we expected from him but still seems to be spending a lot of time on the sideline with nicks and bruises.

DT Grady Jackson (B)—Jackson is more of a wall than anything else but does have his moments.

DT Jonathan Babineaux (B+)—Babineaux has proven to be a very solid starting defensive tackle; I am a fan of this guy.

DE Jamaal Anderson, Chauncey Davis (B)—These guys played about the same amount of time at the other defensive end position. Both had some big moments, but one of them is going to need to solidify the position. Davis gets a B+, Anderson gets a B-.

OLB Michael Boley (B-)—Boley was a guy I thought was one of the few worthy players on this roster a year ago and definitely has talent. However, Brian Van Gorder must think different, considering the playing time Coy Wire has gotten lately.

OLB Keith Brooking (B+)—Brooking had another solid statistical year, but I can't help but notice him hitting the tail end of this career.

MLB Curtis Lofton (A)—For a rookie linebacker, Lofton had a solid year. You won't catch him on highlight films, but he's quietly become a very productive player.

CB Chris Houston (C+)—Once again, Houston is a hit or miss type of player. He's made a lot of plays this season but also gets picked on sometimes by offenses.

CB Dominique Foxworth (B+)—Foxworth has filled in nicely in Atlanta and is a physical corner who gets his hand on the ball and doesn't get beat deep. I think I prefer him over DeAngelo Hall...

SS Lawyer Milloy (B+)—Milloy has had a great year with 95 tackles and plenty of big hits, but more importantly, he is a playoff experienced veteran and one of the team's crucial leaders.

FS Erik Coleman (B)—Coleman got beat on a few plays this year, but he is a solid tackler verse the run and another veteran leader.

PR Harry Douglas (A)—As an electric slot receiver and punt returner, Douglas is a big part of what might be the best rookie class in the NFL.

KR Jerious Norwood (A)—Whether its returning kicks or slicing through defenses, Norwood is the most athletic guy on the field.

K Jason Elam (A)—Elam missed only two kicks all year, but most importantly, he did not miss the important ones.

P Michael Koenen (A+)—He may not be going to the Pro Bowl, but Atlanta broke the record for punt return yards allowed in a season. Touche M-K.

Playoff Predictions:

I'm disappointed that Atlanta did not get the NFC South title and that they have to go into Glendale to play a team who lost two more games than us, but I do still think the Falcon's can make noise in the playoffs.

Arizona is a good football team and has a fantastic home field advantage in Glendale, but I don't think they are as good as the Falcons. Atlanta may have trouble at times dealing with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, but they should be able to get plenty of pressure on Kurt Warner. Ball control will be key in this game, but Atlanta also should not be afraid to throw early and often vs. the Cardinals secondary. I expect some points on both sides of the ball but a Falcons victory.

Atlanta 27 Arizona 19

Next up, I'm going to predict that the Eagles beat Minnesota. The Eagles are just as bad at rushing as the Vikings are at throwing, but I think the Eagles big play defense should cause fits for Tarvaris Jackson.

Philadelphia 21 Minnesota 17

This scenario would send Philly to division rival New York and Atlanta to Charlotte for a third matchup of the I-85 rivalry.

I would love to see Atlanta get to play Carolina, because we are very familiar with them. The Panthers running game appears impossible to stop, but Atlanta proved they can compete with these Cats. This game would be a shootout and would come down to the wire, but I'm going to be a homer and predict a Falcons victory!

Atlanta 30 Carolina 27

Philadelphia is playing great right now, and many are saying the Giants are on the downturn. I know its improbable to predict two wildcard teams to make it to the NFC title game, but the Falcons 11-5 season was dubbed impossible. I'm kind of questioning myself on this one, but why not the Eagles?

Philadelphia 17 New York (G) 7

So, Atlanta will get their revenge against the Eagles stemming from the 27-10 loss in the 2004-05 NFC title game in Philly. The dome would be rocking like never before, never having hosted an NFC title game. This game would be a rematch of earlier in the year and would not be a blowout either way. Once again, I'm going to be a wishful homer and predict a Falcons win!!

Philadelphia 14 Atlanta 23

I will not predict a Super Bowl score, or an AFC representative. Call me a big headed homer, but I'm not going to predict against my team! GO FALCONS!!