Atlanta Falcons: Can the Team Reclaim the #1 Spot in the NFC South

Our hometown Atlanta Falcons finished with a 7-9 record in the 2018 campaign, good enough for 2nd place in the division.

A rash of injuries contributed to the losing record for the year, including starting Safety and defensive stalwart Keanu Neal and the “quarterback” of the defense, Free Safety Ricardo Allen.  Allen’s absence was especially crucial considering all the different roles he was responsible for getting people in to.

Offensively, the Falcons started slow but eventually got to a point of being prolific under the leadership of signal-caller Matt Ryan, who despite the losing record had a phenomenal year.

However, inconsistent play offensively led to the dismissal of Offensive Coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who found traction back in Alabama.  Former Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs and former OC of our Birds, Dirk Koetter will be returning to that role this upcoming season.

New Orleans, still fresh off an NFC Championship loss, has won the division the last two years but has not been unbeatable, as during that reign Atlanta did defeat them at home.  This begs to question, how far away are the Falcons from reclaiming the number one spot in the NFC South?

Consider this when analyzing the question; the Falcons finished sixth in the NFL in total offense and 10th in scoring.  Most of their losses due to injury were on the defensive side of the ball and most of them are expected to make a full recovery.  They did finish 28th in total defense which absolutely contributed to the record for the year.

There is absolutely no reason why the Atlanta Falcons cannot return to prominence for the 2019 campaign.  They should be a lot more efficient offensively because a staple of a Koetter offense is both the attempts at running the football and the ability to run the football.

This will do two things; keep the opposing defense off balance and keep the Falcons defense fresh.

With a key cog in the offense, RB Devonta Freeman returning in a full-time role, the hope is that the running game will be revitalized.

In addition, the Carolina Panthers are unsure of the status of Quarterback Cam Newton and Tampa has a new head coach so Falcons fans should be absolutely confident that the team can return to their rightful place as Kings of the South once again!