Are the Falcons for real?

            The short answer to this question, at least in my own personal opinion, is absolutely not. Nobody expected this team to be competitive at midseason, and for good reason as they’re working with only 63% of their salary cap while in full rebuild mode with a makeshift roster. Fortunately for them, the sad state of affairs in the NFC South has them sitting atop the division. This seems like a temporary occurrence, as we all know what happened the last time the Falcons held a lead against a Tom Brady-led team. I’m expecting the Buccaneers to get back in the driver’s seat sooner rather than later, as that roster is just so much more talented than our own. Despite these opinions, my intention is to find out whether or not the Falcons should be trusted.

Blown lead against the Saints

            I know that Falcons fans are coming off the extreme high which was watching the team’s fantastic win over the Panthers last weekend, but let’s not forget about our humble beginnings. We began the season by blowing a 16-point fourth quarter lead against our hated division rival. The blown lead looks so much worse now, knowing that the Saints legitimately suck this season. This loss was especially maddening considering our team led the game in several key categories, which include time of possession (33:44), rushing (38 carries for 201 yards), and QB sacks (4.0). Our flaws, such as Marcus Mariota’s inability to protect the football, were exposed in this game.

Wins against quality opponents

            After stumbling around earlier in the season, we began to find our groove with key wins over the Seahawks & 49ers in the span of less than a month. Those teams both look like NFC playoff contenders, and our wins over them look pretty convincing now. The Seahawks are currently leading the NFC West with a 5-3 record, while the 2^nd place 49ers have a 4-4 record. Last week’s exhilarating win over the Panthers was also huge for us as we now lead the division. That said, a win over the rebuilding Panthers isn’t the same as wins over the Seahawks & 49ers. A win’s a win though, and we’ve stacked together four of those along with four losses this year.

Drubbing by the Bengals

            Speaking of losses, the Falcons got absolutely demolished by the Bengals in Week 7. Despite the lopsided score early in the game, we repeatedly tried (and failed) to establish the run. Whatever game plan they had obviously went out the window, and yet they stuck to the bad plan. Marcus Mariota absolutely should not have only 13 passing attempts in a game where we were down by double digits throughout the contest. There’s simply no logic behind that decision, not when our team features talented players like TE Kyle Pitts & WR Drake London in our offense.

Lack of intimidating schedule

            All of the Falcons remaining opponents on their schedule except for the Ravens (5-2 record) are against teams with .500 (4-4) or worse records as we approach the midseason point. Taking advantage of this favorable schedule would benefit the Falcons in a winnable NFC South. It’s also worth noting that the NFC itself is pretty weak this year, with only a few teams (Eagles, Vikings, Seahawks) looking like playoff contenders while all other teams are stuck in the middle. Could the Falcons make a move at the trade deadline to improve the team & make a playoff run? In all likelihood, you will read this article after the trade deadline has passed at 4 PM on Nov. 1^st.

The final verdict

            I’m still going to say that no, the Falcons aren’t for real. Now, if they were to make a trade deadline acquisition or two, then that’s a different story depending on the players acquired. That doesn’t seem very likely either, as more resources are available to us later in the offseason. The Falcons just don’t have enough talent to compete with playoff caliber teams like the Eagles.  Would it surprise me if they went on a Cinderella type of run in a weak NFC South? Not really. Would it surprise me if they emerged as genuine playoff contenders in the NFC? Very much so.