Heading into last season, the Falcons' schedule appeared, on paper, to be really easy. They had a new head coach who was expected to elevate the defense to be adequate at least, and with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, it was hard to believe the offense wouldn't be good.
There were some moments leading up to the season that caused us to doubt the Falcons could be dominant in 2015. When the team decided to reshuffle the whole offensive line after the preseason ended, it raised some questions. The defense still didn't seem to be prepared to rush the passer. They had a converted cornerback starting at free safety. There were definitely concerns.
But the team jumped out to a 6-1 start, winning their first five games, and they seemed unstoppable. Then everything fell apart. They finished 8-8, which was worse than many had projected, and certainly was a disappointment after such a strong start to the season.
This illustrates why trying to project how a team will fare is an exercise in futility. We can make educated guesses, but you can't account for so many variables, such as injuries. Still, heading into the second year of new schemes, with more talent on the roster, it's fun to try to predict what the team will do in 2016. Right? Sure.
Make your projections below, and discuss in the comments.