Atlanta Falcons: 5 keys to get to Super Bowl LI
By John Buhler
Maintain a top five offensive line
Arguably the most exciting part about the 2015 Atlanta Falcons under first year head coach Dan Quinn was the massive turnaround the team experienced on the offensive. New offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan brought in his family’s patented zone blocking scheme and the once porous offensive line of the Atlanta Falcons was now one of the best in football.
Atlanta had a 1,000 yard rusher in running back Devonta Freeman for the first time in four seasons. The Falcons graded out as the No. 4 offensive line in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus. Offensive line coach Chris Morgan did a great job getting his position group to run block, pass protect, and limit penalties in his first year in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Falcons seem to have two great offensive tackles in left tackle Jake Matthews and right tackle Ryan Schraeder. While Atlanta is strong on the edge, the front office will have to make sure that the interior of the offensive line is again solid in 2016.
Having another top five offensive line will allow the Atlanta Falcons to dictate tempo while possessing the football. It’s the area in the trenches that the Falcons have an edge over most teams in the NFL. Essentially, Atlanta cannot regress up front if it wants to have a realistic chance of making it to Super Bowl LI in Houston. A top five offensive line is a focal point that a team can rally behind en route to potentially a deep playoff run.
Next: Have the secondary become elite