The Falcons remind me of myself circa 1997. For serious. Glasses, braces, an unhealthy obsession with the Star Wars Trilogy, and an extensive Magic: The Gathering card collection. Put differently, they are struggling, struggling to find an identity.
Pro Football Focus featured an interesting read about Sunday's game today. Here's what PFF staff writer Ben Stockwell had to say about the Falcons' identity struggles:
The Falcons are in the progress of transitioning their offense from a ground-and-pound, "three yards and a cloud of dust" running game to a pass-heavy offense with two stud "No. 1" receivers. Right now, not everything is clicking and there are problems rooted in the offense line that are affecting the entire unit. The line doesn’t appear capable of providing a solid foundation for the run or the pass and in these conditions the skill position players struggled to find any sort of timing until they reached late-game no huddle mode. Had Corey Peters not jumped offside inside the two-minute warning there’s a fair chance the Falcons might have driven for the win, let alone the tie, but this result gives Atlanta true focus for their troubles on offense in trying to find their identity.
We've heard that TD and company envision a more explosive offense, though there does seem to be varying definitions of "explosive." To be honest, the notion that a transition is necessary doesn't sit well with many Falcons fans. We see 2008-2010 as the transition. In our minds, no more transitioning is necessary. Now is the time for Charlie Sheening.
So what do y'all think? How comfortable are we with an assessment of this sort? If this year proves to be a struggle, will it all be worth it if we make deep runs in the playoffs next year and the year after that. Curious what y'all think.
Discuss!