All the Atlanta Falcons who set career highs in 2016

The Atlanta Falcons hit a crazy number of milestones in 2016. They set the franchise scoring record, first and foremost, but many individual players also set career highs or broke records themselves. As a service to our readers, I’ve collected a list of every Falcon that hit a career high in 2016, which does not include rookies because they always hit career highs.

Offense

Matt Ryan: 4,944 passing yards, 38 touchdowns

Ryan, of course, set franchise marks with both yardage and touchdowns, passing the marks he had already set back in 2012.

Devonta Freeman: 1,079 rushing yards

Freeman beat last year’s mark on the ground by 23 yards.

Tevin Coleman: 118 rushing attempts, 520 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns, 31 receptions, 421 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns

Coleman went from a relatively disappointing rookie season to over 900 total yards and 11 touchdowns, and the Falcons have the most effective running back tandem in the NFL.

Terron Ward: 31 rushing attempts, 151 rushing yards

Even Ward had an effective year on his limited carries.

Mohamed Sanu: 59 receptions

Sanu set a career high for yardage and touchdowns back in 2014, but he did reel in a career-high number of catches in this offense.

Taylor Gabriel: 35 receptions, 579 yards, 6 receiving touchdowns

Gabriel went from a Browns cut to an extremely productive member of this offense. Kyle Shanahan magic and Gabriel’s natural talent went a long way, here.

Justin Hardy: 203 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns

Hardy is one of the last options in this passing attack, but he is incredibly sure-handed and came up with several nice third down receptions and four quality touchdown catches. As a bit player who can also block well, he’s very valuable.

Aldrick Robinson: 20 receptions

The productive deep threat didn’t put up the same kind of numbers he did in preseason, but when he was called upon, he came through.

Levine Toilolo: 264 yards, 20.3 yards per reception

This is ridiculous. Toilolo has barely been a factor in this offense, but he averaged more yards per his 13 receptions than anyone else on the team. Also, he’s tall.

Defense

Ricardo Allen: 90 tackles

Allen was a divisive starter, but a very solid one, and he was the team’s third-leading tackler.

Robert Alford: 61 tackles, 19 pass deflections

The Atlanta Falcons gave Alford a big contract extension because he’s always, always around the ball, as these numbers attest.

Vic Beasley: 39 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles

I don’t need to tell you that Beasley had one hell of a season, do I?

LaRoy Reynolds: 30 tackles

It was a career high for Reynolds, who drew three starters this year and was a core special teamer.

Grady Jarrett: 48 tackles, 3 sacks

Jarrett was quietly the team’s only effective defensive tackle, and could be primed for a true breakthrough year in 2017 if the team can get him any help.

Ra’Shede Hageman: 2 sacks

Hageman had his moments, and he still blocks an astonishing number of kicks, and those two sacks beat the one sack he put up in both 2015 and 2014.

Ben Garland: 3 tackles

The man is a superstar.

Jalen Collins: 31 tackles, 10 pass deflections, 2 interceptions

Collins has a ways to go, but he showed why the Falcons decided to draft him in the second round with his physicality and ability to play the ball, and he came on especially strong over the last 4-5 games.

Special Teams

Matt Bryant: 56 extra points

This offense was good to Matt Bryant, and Matt Bryant was good for this offense.