clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

The Atlanta Falcons Are Bringing The Swagger

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 18:  Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons runs the offense against the Philadelphia Eagles at Georgia Dome on September 18, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 18: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons runs the offense against the Philadelphia Eagles at Georgia Dome on September 18, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Getty Images

If you needed proof that these are not your older sibling's Atlanta Falcons, look no further than the way the offense is carrying itself this off-season.

You can always count on Roddy White to be a hype man, but what about when it's Matt Ryan delivering the humblebrag? What of the exceedingly modest Julio Jones boasting that he's going to take the fight to any cornerback in the NFL? Can these even be the same Falcons we've come to know and love?

They can be, and they are. You can forgive this offense for feeling a little cocky coming into the season, now that the reins have been loosened and they can look around and see the supremely talented people surrounding them.

I want you guys to enjoy discussing this article and the way the team is embracing not only a new offensive identity, but a new identity, period. Enjoy these quotes and carry on.

After all, with Matt Ryan throwing to Jones, Pro Bowl wideout Roddy White and future Hall of Fame tonight Tony Gonzalez – when he's not handing off to workhorse halfback Michael Turner – the promising receiver believes defensive coordinators are faced with an untenable task.

"You know what I would do? Just pack up my stuff and go home," Jones said, laughing, after a training camp practice at the team's training facility last Saturday. "I mean, who are you gonna double? Tony? Roddy? Me? That's six people. What are you gonna do?"
"He's more aggressive," White says, comparing Koetter to Mularkey. "He's not gun-shy whatsoever. He will have no bullets left in the chamber at the end of the game, I can tell you that. He has so much confidence in all of us as playmakers – he just dials 'em up and he expects us to make plays."