What Are Healthy Expectations For The 2012 Falcons Season?

My crystal ball says 11-5

But Im going with 12-4. Optimistic yes, but anything that will change has got to be better than a Mularkey offense and that bs zone heavy D.

Trade the Burner and Dunta for a 1st round pick. Resign Grimey, and somehow get Carl Nicks, Terrell Thomas, and Aubrayo Franklin to wear the red and black next season. Save the 1st round pick for Turner’s replacement, maybe Richardson from Bama?

I feel the difference between BVG/Mularkey and Nolan/Dirk is a solid +2 in the wins department. It can also be argued that next years schedule shouldn’t be quite as brutal – this year’s was pretty tough.

this is going to be as tough as a schedule as this past season, if not a little bit harder so im gonna predict 10-6 but with more consistancy than without like this past year.

..i say its realistic that we only drop 1, maybe 2 and away i can see us going 4-4, so i can see us going 11-5, i just hope the Saints aren’t the first to be back to back NFC south champs!!!

With at least one postseason victory. We brought these guys in to get a postseason victory. Cant do that without winning in the regular season. Therefore If we dont get that win, then the 2012 season should be considered a failure. A postseason win and consistency. The rest will take care of itself.

based on a team whose personnel we aren’t sure about yet…

We will end our season 14-0 because of 12/21/12

I think we’ll win some we should lose and probably lose a couple we should win. Over all, I expect to see some improvement across the board resulting in a late season charge into the playoffs, and woe be unto whoever faces us in that first playoff game!

But remember,Johnson is only 24 years old and Hawley is just 23.I think it was the right thing to do to go younger and more athletic on the Oline but,this was a tough year to begin that with the lockout and lack of organized off season.

So McClure probably retires.We get organic improvement from the younger guys and a normal off season.We can recover the step back that the Oline took this year but,it’s not enough to compete with playoff defenses.Oline help is essential

We can draft and sign FA CBs until the cows come home.It will make no difference in the playoffs agains the Packers,Giants,Saints or Cowboys offenses without dramatic improvement in the pass rush from the Dline.

I’m going to say absent a serious infusion of talent on both lines of scrimmage,10 – 6 does not get us into the playoffs and we fall behind the Bears,Seahawks,Cowboys and Lions in the NFC.

I had us at 10-6, so I nailed it last year (can’t prove it because I didn’t post here then). I can see anything from 9-7 to 11-5, so I’ll go right down the middle and say 10-6. This could change, obviously with free agency and draft, up or down.

Home:
NYG
Dallas
Denver
Oakland
Arizona
Fracking Saints
TB
Carolina

Away:
Washington
Philadelphia
SD
KC
Detroit
TB
Stupid Butt Pirates
Carolina

Thoughtful Analysis:

- NFC SOuth – As dirtybirds233 above, I always assume 3-3 in the division.

-NFC East – We barely beat the Eagles @ home, I doubt we beat them in Philly. Split with the Giants/Cowboys, win against the Skins. 2-2

AFC West – I think we win all these games, if the Chargers decide to play in their own house, they might be tough. A conservative 3-1

Detroit on the road is a loss (unless the D makes huge strides up front) Arizona is a Win. 1-1

A conservative 9-7, but those AFC West games are the toss up. All together, I say we’ll be a slightly worse personnel team, but will have the coaching, adjustments, and time management to win the close games.

It’s possible that we could lose five of our away games. Our schedule isn’t a walk in the park. However, a lot depends on what happens in FA/draft, and how our new coaches implement their scheme (Mostly concerned with the offensive side). I’m wishful that 9-7 is a VERY conservative prediction.

please remember that we were in position to win the New Orleans OT, the TB, the GB, and the Houston games. I’d like to think that the new coordinators would have had a more favorable outcome in most if not all of those games.

Losses:
Saints – 2
Panthers – 2
Giants
Cowboys
Eagles
Lions
Chargers

Mike Smith on HOT seat for 2013. . . playoff win or he’s out.

Hoping for 11 & 5 but 10 & 6 seems more realistic. With new personel and new schemes being implimented there may be some growing pains as Dave noted. We also have to consider our opponents the afc west and nfc east as well as our own and I dont wanna say it but Cam is growing up fast…just something to keep in mind. I forget who our other 2 out of division opponents are. I think one maybe Detroit but not sure. I think our easier games may come out of the Afc west with the exception of San Diego I dont feel the threat of a loss from Oakland KC or Denver but who knows any givin sunday

somewhere in between 0-16 and 15-1.

Maybe even 13 – 3.

NFCS champs. 1 to 2 wins in playoffs, but not SB bound.

Will revise prediction based on off season.

Edwards becomes the sack monster he was supposed to be and if Nolan can get Dunta to become the ferocious DB he was meant to be. If Roddy can catch a ball better than he can catch a cold … if Turner doesn’t have to carry the entire load when we try to run the ball. If Quizz and Snelling can get some high YAC numbers on all those screen passes Dirk is going to call … if Ryan can connect with JJ and HD on the deep ball when opponents are sold on running and screen plays … if we get rid of some of that trash we call the o-line and then make some good trades to get someone who can actually protect Ryan and who is big and strong enough to get us 1 yard on those 3rd and 4th down attempts … if we can finally get a player from FA with great talent instead of someone who we thought was great but ended up only have a “great” paycheck (see Edwards and Dunta) … if TD works his magic to make up for the bust that was called the Falcon’s draft 2011 … if MS and the new coordinators and coaches work their a$$es off this offseason to finally figure out how to use the team and players the right way then I say we will be 11 and 5 in 2012. And if the Falcons can play with some kind of swagger and “stomp on your throat” football instead of playing not to lose than I think we can finally get our first playoff win since 98 and we may even make it a superbowl run next year.

Why you all acting like the coaching change will have a huge impact. Matt is the smartest qb in the nfl hes not a rookie he can handle a new playbook, plus were gonna use old one DK is just gonna open it up, who says u cant turn a d around in one year (see Houston,Bengals,Niners,Aints)

I’m hoping for 9-7, wildcard win, better position in and a huge draft for 2013, with solid fundamental growth and consistency.

The schedule looks like a wash from this year. We catch the AFC West instead of the South, but the South was putrid other than the Texans. NFC East this year could be trouble. Hopefully we catch Dallas late in the season during their usual collapse. Philly and NY will be trouble, as will Detroit. I’m not sure when we want to have the Chargers, and who does?

I think the coordinators make a difference. Offense gets a little better under Koetter, defense loses people (Grimes, Abe, Lofton), and we try to cobble together some kind of hybrid 3-4 / 4-3 thing. Defense regresses, and the offense has to bail out the defense for a change. Nolan coaches his ass off and gets the talent up to a sub-average level by the end of the season.

Birds miss the playoffs by one game.

I think it’s too early. Let’s see what happens after the Falcons go through free agency. Actually, I wouldn’t mind them taking a step back (e.g., 8-8) if they ultimately improve the following years.