The Falcons are the 29th healthiest NFL team since 2013

The injuries that hit the Falcons in 2013 and 2014 were lamentable and certainly contributed to the team's downward spiral those two seasons. To put those injuries in sobering perspective, however, we turn to reader B17 Bomber.

@TheFalcoholic 4th least healthiest team since 2013 https://t.co/jZ7dprCwL1

— B17 Bomber (@b17fortres) July 1, 2015

This means after a nice string of injury luck from 2008-2012, the Falcons got slammed the last two years. Forget poor coaching and lousy decisions; you could mount a fair argument that injuries are what ultimately got Mike Smith fired from the team. It's unfortunate that his legacy will be defined by that for many fans, but then again, you can wonder how much of the team's success in the years prior were due to unsustainable good health.

The legacy of these last two years can be felt in the here and now, with Jake Matthews, Joe Hawley, William Moore and others recovering from maladies suffered last season, and with Sam Baker gone and Sean Weatherspoon being allowed to move on after two straight injury-marred campaigns. The fundamental composition of this team has been altered by those injury woes, and we have enough question marks about health for those that are left that it puts a bit of a damper on what should be a feel-good offseason.

Let's hope this trend reverses in 2015.