Atlanta Falcons: 5 Things Learned From Week 1

Sep 14, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Ricardo Allen (37) celebrates his game saving interception in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Eagles 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons Don’t Have to Win Shootouts

This is where the 2015 Atlanta Falcons will be the most different from the last two seasons in the Mike Smith Era: our Atlanta Falcons won’t have to win shootouts any more to earn a victory.

Atlanta forced several three and outs against the Philadelphia offense in the first half.  In the last two seasons, Falcons fans hoped for the opposition having to settle for field goals in the red zone because the Mike Nolan defense wasn’t stopping anybody.  The Dan Quinn defense is still a work in progress, but certainly has more bite than the toothless Falcons’ D from the previous two seasons.

The pass rush effected Sam Bradford early on, forcing him to miss his receiving targets by not feeling comfortable in the pocket.  Atlanta wrapped up early on most tackles and didn’t allow Philadelphia to accumulate many yards after contact. The ballhawking skills were prominently featured in last night’s game from the secondary, with both William Moore and Ricardo Allen’s clutch interceptions.

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While 20-3 lead evaporated in the second half, I’ll the Eagles a ton of credit for executing their rapid-fire offense.  Even the best conditioned athletes can’t always defend a snap every 11 seconds.  Fortunately for Atlanta, nobody plays as fast as the Eagles do on offense and the Falcons kept pace with Philly except for the third quarter.

When Philadelphia took control of the game’s pace, Atlanta seized it right back by sticking to running the football in the fourth quarter.  Having a defense that can force punts and a rushing attack that can move the chains allows QB Matt Ryan the luxury of not having to throw for over 400 yards every game for the Atlanta Falcons so they can win in a shootout.  The 2015 Atlanta Falcons seem to already have more balance than in recent seasons.

Next: Special Teams Strong Enough to Win Team Ball Games