The Falcons beat the Broncos, and here are some joyful reactions and useful analyses

With the Falcons’ 23-16 win over the Denver Broncos, there’s plenty to celebrate, and plenty more to digest. Here’s some early reactions worth considering.

Ha ha! DW is talking about me.

Seriously, though, this is incredibly impressive. The Panthers look like a diminished team compared to a year ago, but the Broncos are still an incredible team, and the Falcons just dominated them in Denver. You can’t hate that.

For what it’s worth, I thought Ishmael was extremely impressive at linebacker, and may have warranted a longer look there going forward. If Ishmael can play at a high level as a reserve linebacker and safety, he’s going to command a pretty penny in free agency, and I certainly hope he won’t be leaving Atlanta.

Think about how crazy it is that Atlanta got six sacks, when this team literally went weeks upon weeks without equalling that total several times in recent years. Whether this winds up being a bit of a fluke effort fueled by a weak Broncos line or not, you can see the glimmers of upside here, particularly for Vic Beasley and Jarrett.

The numbers through the air don’t jump off the page, but considering Matt Ryan was often harried, Denver’s defense is incredibly difficult, and the Falcons ran the ball exceptionally well, who really cares? Aaron’s right: The Falcons dominated this one on offense, and Kyle Shanahan should officially shed his status as one of the most reviled men in Atlanta.

It was a truly incredible effort for the best running back tandem in football. Freeman was great on the ground and useful through the air, while Coleman was solid on the ground and exceptional through the air. These two are the focal point of this Falcons’ offense most weeks for a reason, and it’s because they are genuinely terrific, and incredibly difficult to stop.

There is a pattern in Atlanta this year where we question this team’s moves, especially the ones that Dan Quinn seems to have masterminded, and we wind up (mostly) eating our words. Derrick Shelby may not be the best example, here, but Keanu Neal is.

Everything above is accurate. Neal was everywhere, he was incredibly physical, and he’s really been a key player for Atlanta since he got back. I look forward to seeing how good he can be with more time under his belt.

Feels good, doesn’t it?