Atlanta Falcons: Week One Win In Many Ways Was a Failure

The Atlanta Falcons may have escaped from Chicago with a win but there were a lot of concerning factors in Sunday’s win. While it is hard to consider any victory a failure in may ways the game against the Bears was a failure.

The Atlanta Falcons struggled against a Chicago team that managed all of three wins last season and struggled to look anything like the defending NFC champions. The team was one play away from losing in Chicago and likely would have had Brooks Reed not shown up to play and made a game winning sack.

Watching the offensive line of the Falcons may have been the most concerning factor of the loss. The line often looked whipped and pushed around by the Bears front seven. Resulting in a lack of a run game and Matt Ryan having limited throws.

Ryan played well but seemed to be the only player to win at his position aside from Austin Hooper making two big catches there was little to be excited about on offense. While there is truth to the fact that reacting to week one by itself can lead to overreaction, there is also the fact that the Falcons almost got beat by a team that had two more wins than the Cleveland Browns.

On the other side of the ball the Falcon’s ability to stop the run just became a new concern as was the fact that they didn’t create a turnover. While that will happen from time to time when playing the Mike Glennon led Bears the Falcons needed to find a way to create at least one turnover.

If the Falcons want any chance of starting 2-0 on the young season a lot of improvements are going to have to be made before they take on Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday night football.