:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55675189/633406112.0.jpg)
You haven’t seen many of them yet—training camp has not begun, after all—but the season previews are going to start rolling in for the Atlanta Falcons very soon. Though it’s only July, you’ll find few as in-depth and balanced as this one.
Falcoholic film analyst Charles McDonald also runs, along with B/R’s Justis Mosqueda, the site and podcast Setting the Edge, which provides some pretty excellent NFL analysis. Their preview series for all 32 NFL teams finally made it to the Falcons, and as you’d expect, it’s a worthwhile read.
The big strengths of this roster are likely to come in the form of the the passing attack, which still figures to be great and features a true breakout candidate in Austin Hooper, and arguably the league’s best running back duos. You may not have realized just how good these guys were in 2016, despite watching them with your own eyes, but there’s some stats that will help you further appreciate their production in the preview.
The major concerns? McDonald notes that despite the defensive improvement and stellar performances from some of the young stars on the Falcons, the defense was still not great as a whole a year ago. He also shares some interesting stats about the offensive line which may make you concerned for a performance pullback that could happen independent of any injuries.