Three Atlanta Falcons That Need to Rise Up in 2015

For the Atlanta Falcons to have a successful first year under HC Dan Quinn, not only do the star players have to come up big, but a few other starters need to rise up and get to that level. Yes, Matt Ryan needs to quarterback like a Pro Bowler. Julio Jones and Desmond Trufant need to ascertain their spots as Top 5 players at their respective positions in the NFL. Even Roddy White and Matt Bryant will need to continue to come through in the clutch with their play. And that still may not get Atlanta back into the playoffs. So who are the three Atlanta Falcons that really need to Rise Up in 2015 to get the Dirty Birds back into the postseason?

CB Robert Alford

Alford has a lot riding on his third year in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Though Coach Q likes Robert’s aggressiveness and ballhawking ability, does he have staying power in the Falcons secondary as a starting cornerback?

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We’ve seen what having a great secondary can do for a Dan Quinn defense with Seattle’s Legion of Boom. While Alford isn’t exactly a big, physical corner, hence the Jalen Collins draft selection, I believe that Robert can become an effective cover corner for Quinn so long as he doesn’t routinely get burned on deep balls.

Playing in a less verbose 4-3 base defense, cover 2 defense with a simplified nickel package should bode well for the third year veteran out of Southeastern Louisiana University. By bringing in Collins, I think that Alford will be better equipped to star in the Falcons secondary as Jalen’s presence should ease the burden in the Atlanta defensive backfield. Or you’d certainly hope so with three high draft picks used in the secondary the last three seasons.

LEO Vic Beasley

Because Vic Beasley comes to the Falcons as the eighth overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, obviously expectations are very high for the pass rusher out of Clemson University. The two-time All-American can certainly get after the quarterback in year one, but many question if Vic is an every-down player this early in his NFL career.

Vic believes so. He said to NFL Media’s Tiffany Blackmon, “I think I’m an every-down player. I think that’s just motivation for me to go out there and prove that I can be an every-down player.” It’s good to hear that Beasley aspires to contribute in stopping the run, something many scouts question if he can do that at an NFL level.

Look, Vic’s going to knock some QB’s into the ground this fall. Many pundits project Beasley to have 8-10 sacks this season. If he can give the Falcons that with some sort of contribution in run defense, Atlanta could finally stop the bleeding after letting DE John Abraham go after the 2012 season.

LT Jake Matthews

Jake Matthews certainly took his lumps in 2014 when he took over for an injured Sam Baker at left tackle in the preseason. He rated out as one the worst blind side protectors in the NFL last year as a rookie. But then again, he was just a rookie. Perhaps we’re still holding unrealistic expectations for Jake just because he comes from Football’s First Family.

Regardless of if he becomes his father on the left side, Atlanta still used its sixth overall pick last year on the OT from Texas A&M. I do think that Jake is a very cerebral guy on our offensive line. Just getting thrown into the fire year one as the starting left tackle was an incredibly difficult task. Jake didn’t make excuses last season as he took the eye-opening experience in full stride.

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