FanPost

Easier Done than Said; A Falcon's Season Preview



This is our redemption.

First off, I could just leave this preview with one thing.

We return almost every single piece of the squad that took down the best team in the NFL for 3 quarters, and then some. It's that simple. We return the number one offense in the NFL with all but one important piece, but I won't bring him up.

That piece isn't Chris Chester.

Anyways, I have a short story for you. It isn't of statistics, or of scandals, no worries. I was sitting on my porch during August of 2016, sipping OJ in the bright sunshine, thinking towards football season. A bird flew overhead, and I wondered who's team that bird would represent in the playoffs; The Eagles, The Seahawks? Boy, do I remember thinking, that birds of prey are rare in my parts of town. They seem to be rare everywhere, don't they?

But when they do come around, it gives you a moment to consider the looming possibilities of what it may do; swoop down, and attack, assertively taking what is rightfully it's own? Or sway in the breeze, passive, waiting for it's meal to fly right into it's mouth?

I know that back in that bright August month, I would have thought my Falcons would lie back, and wait for the food to come to it's mouth, while the Seahawks and Eagles of the world would aggressively dish out punishment to any breathing organism who dared to take it's food.

I laugh at this notion now.

We played tough against every team in the regular season, not letting the doubters get into our head as the season went on. We fought all the way to the Super Bowl. We gave the best team in the 2016 season all they could handle for 4 quarters, and it took a pair of legends to bring their team back from an embarrassing demise.

That loss we took in the Super Bowl was the most crushing, severe loss the Atlanta Falcons have ever suffered. Sure, the Panthers lost in the Super Bowl, but not in the skull-numbing, bone snapping, heart breaking fashion we lost in.

That is exactly why our story won't end like the Panthers, whose season after the Super Bowl was an unmistakable disaster. That is why each player will fight tooth and nail to earn the Greatest prize, the Greatest Award. So, I speak to you, NFL fans, watch out, because these Falcons can't be over looked going into this season.

All that was just to show how the Falcons won't collapse this season, emotionally. But for those of you who are more into the technical side of things, here are those reasons.

Coaching

First off, the coaches.

At defensive coordinator, we have Marquand Manuel.

He was the Secondary Coach and the Senior Defensive Assistant for the past two years, and was promoted to Defensive Coordinator. Something to note is that he was with Dan Quinn in Seattle for some of Quinn's years in Seattle. The two have known each other for a long time, which should create great chemistry between the two.

He was forced to coach up a really young secondary, and he did so really well, as that secondary shut out the Green Bay Packers with a healthy Aaron Rodgers for one full half. They also shut down Tom Brady and a near healthy arsenal of weapons for three quarters of football before running out of steam. I'd expect great thing out of that secondary, but more on that later.

At offensive coordinator, we have Steve Sarkisian.

Sarkisian was perhaps the most splashy signing for the Atlanta Falcons in the off-season. He coached at the Offensive Coordinator position in the National Championship game for Alabama, and coached at two power schools in Washington and USC. His teams have had large success at the quarterback position. At USC, he coached Cody Kessler, who threw for 39 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions in his best year there. When he was the Quarter Backs coach in Oakland in 2004, he lead their passing game to the number 8 passing offense in the league. He also coached Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC to Heisman Trophy winning seasons.

His success at coaching the Quarter Back coaching position should only expand Matt Ryan's roll as the Alpha Dog in their offense. It could also make Ryan an even better QB, which is a scary proposition for any team in the NFL after Matt Ryan's amazing MVP performance last season. He was very aggressive all his coaching career, and that should match Atlanta's fast paced offense who lead the league in scoring last season. In many ways, he is like Kyle Shanahan, except that he's had less experience in the NFL. That shouldn't matter, though, because he has coached many pro-style Quarterbacks and Offenses at USC with high levels of success. Not mention he coached in the NFL as well.

But, Sarkisian has had some off the field issues dealing with alcohol, though he seems to be out of those problems. It is, however, something to keep an eye on as the season goes on. Nobody ever seems to completely shrug off the shadow of the past.

What do I think about those two changes?

I think that both moves were sound. Promoting Marquand Manuel to defensive coordinator was a good move for a team that will need a strong secondary when facing the likes of Cam Newton, Jaemis Winston, and Drew Brees six times this season.

Hiring Sarkisian was a bit more of a risk, but I feel the potential profits of this move was to high to pass up with the possibilities of raising Matt Ryan's game to another level, if at all possible.

Both of these moves were made in the best interests of the team and their players, which leads me to some more high praise for another coach,

Dan Quinn!

This man really turned the Falcons around, even with a mediocre first season in 2015. He improved the defense by drastic margins, and he drafted key players in the draft prior to the 2016 run to the Super Bowl (Keanu Neal, Dion Jones, De'Vondre Campbell). Many have cited his years in Seattle, where he had a lockdown corner; Richard Sherman-Desmond Trufant, a hard-hitting safety; Kam Chancellor-Keanu Neal, and a run-stopping linebacker; Bobby Wagner- Dion Jones. Those comparisons have lead many to realize that this defense could very well turn into one resembling the Hawk's Legion of Boom.

Dan Quinn has turned what was once a team with an explosive offense and not much else into a team with an explosive offense and a game-stopping defense. He has done a heck of a job.

That one event in between seasons- The Draft!

The Falcons went into this draft needing added depth at DE and needing an Offensive Guard. They got it, but it was a little bit of a head scratcher to wait until the third round to add the OG they were needing. Here's their picks, and I'll tell you what of I think about each of them.

1. Takkarist McKinley: Round 1, Pick 26, DE, UCLA

Takkarist is a very good looking player, and he has a lot of heart. He made it to where he is today by doing something seriously unfathomable to most: he promised his dying grandmother that he would make it to D1 football, and the NFL.

According to this article by USA Today, Takkarist said of that experience, "Thirty seconds later, that was it," he said. "She nodded her head and passed away. That was one of the hardest moments of my life. I probably wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you guys if I didn’t make that promise."

That's amazing, and explains why he walked up to the stage at the draft with a picture of his grandmother:

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That should provide plenty of motivation in his NFL career. Talking about the pick from a technical standpoint, it was a solid pick, when I've seen several draft previews having him going about 10-15 picks before where he went that night to the Falcons. His stats are excellent as well; at UCLA, he had 60 tackles in his senior season, and had 10 sacks. One of his most memorable performances came in a losing effort versus California, where he recorded 11(!) solo tackles. In a draft preview done by the UCLA SB nation page, they said that he never gives up on plays, and that's just what everyone wants to hear. Here are some of his highlights from his senior season. Anyways, I love the pick!

2. Duke Riley, Round 3, Pick 11, LB, LSU

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He was a complete steal in the third round. HIs speed is just what goes with the Falcons defense, a 4.58 40 yard dash. That's pretty nice. He will complement Deion Jones, the Falcon's second year middle linebacker, also out of LSU. Duke could end up playing next to Deion if he earns it early on, but I figure he will come in to give Deion breaks in between plays early on before stepping in as a starter next to him. There are concerns about his size, as he is 6 foot 1 and 231 pounds, while your typical inside linebacker might have a few more inches and 10 more pounds. I suspect that won't matter though, with the weight room probably adding more muscle onto him in the offseason.

He produced well at LSU, accumulating 92 tackles. This was a good pick, and LB is always a position where you can't have to many players. Yet again, a solid pick here by Dan Quin and company.

3. Sean Harlow, Round 4, Pick 30, OG, Oregon State

I really don't know much about this guy, but here's how Pro Football Focus broke down his play, and here's the link.

"Harlow is a powerful and physical run-blocker who generates good power especially at the point of attack. Harlow was not 100 percent healthy in 2016 as he missed the first four games because of a leg injury that occurred in the 2015 season. Harlow’s run-blocking ability is clearly the best part of his game and it is one of the better skill sets in this year’s draft. The biggest concerns for Harlow even if he bumps inside to guard are his pass-protection ability which was a liability in 2016 and was a concern in 2015 before his leg injury also. Harlow has raw talent and if he can fully recover from his injury he will have a shot to impress a team and his big-time pop in run-blocking will definitely garner attention."

That's all I've got on him, and I'm a little worried about his pass protection. However, his run blocking sounds excellent.

I won't go to in depth with the next three picks, for I have a lot to get to.

The next two picks were out of the Mountain West Conference, with Brian Hill, a RB, coming out of Wyoming and Damontae Kazee, a CB/S, coming out of SDSU. Hill had a productive senior year at Wyoming, averaging 5.3 yards per carry and gaining 1860 yards overall. He also was frequently celebrating, for he found the end zone 22 times. He's a bigger back and will look to be a factor in goal line/short yardage situations should Freeman or Coleman need a break. He has had some struggles in pass protection, however, and he never really gets going if his O-Line isn't playing decent. He's definitely not very shifty, either.

Damontae Kazee is a Corner out of SDSU that played in a lot schemes that aren't really seen in the NFL, and that could be a problem early on in his career. His measurables also aren't great, for he is undersized at 5' 10". He is a good tackler, though, and reads the QB well, according to Pro Football Focus. He also had 7 interceptions, so he's certainly capable of making plays on the ball. There is potential here as a backup nickel corner because of his good run defense, and that should earn him spot on the Falcon's roster, no matter what happen. He has potential to play an even bigger role later in his career.

The Falcon's last pick, Eric Saubert, a TE out of Drake, was a tough read. I got this info on him from an article by Falcon's Wire.

"In a word, Saubert is completely inconsistent. He can block well when he cares enough to. He has great hands and makes ridiculous catches when he’s honed in, but he tends to run sloppy routes and has inconsistent technique throughout his whole game. Saubert should fit in nicely as an H-back or No. 2 TE flex-type tight end."

That's all I have to say about the draft, and I liked all the picks besides the last one on Eric Saubert. If he can develop into a solid player I'll be happy with it, but I would've felt better if that pick had been used on a lineman.

Positional Preview

I'll start with the biggest position of them all: QB.

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The reigning 2016 NFL MVP of year returns, with all his weapons, and a new OC who has excelled at bringing QBs to their max potential.

Matt Ryan had an excellent playoffs. I enjoyed laughing at the pundits and haters who said from the game against Seattle to versus Green Bay that the Falcons would lose their game and that Matt Ryan would choke.

Nope. He's called Matty Ice for a reason.

He's got ice in his veins.

So, just in general, there is no reason for Matt Ryan to take a step back from how he played last season. I know many would like to believe that he'll take a step back, but there is literally nothing that would make him take that step back. I know some will say Shanahan leaving would be a huge blow, and yes, it normally would, but remember, we just hired an OC who has the same aggressive style as Shanahan and will help Matt Ryan improve.

If I were you, I would place some money on Matty Ice coming in at least the top 5 in MVP voting at the end of the season. Just saying.

His official stat line for the whole season minus the playoffs was a 69.9 completion percentage rating, 9.3 average yards per throw for catch, 38 TDs, and 7INTs. Excellence.

To back up Ryan, there is the Journeyman Matt Schuab and undrafted free agent Alex Torgersen. Matt Schaub signed a 2 year 9 million dollar contract, which I personally didn't appreciate because I felt that that cash should have gone elsewhere, but whatever. Matt Simms may get a place on the roster as well.

So overall, the QB outlook is looking pretty good (to put it lightly), especially with an above average O-Line...

Their are four spots on the offensive line that hold their spots from last season.

Those include Alex Mack, the Falcon's 4 time Pro Bowl star at center, Jake Matthews, a very good offensive lineman, Andy Levitre, another solid player, and Ryan Schraeder is a very underrated player.

If it was a 4-man offensive line, that group would be extremely great.

However, with the departing of Chris Chester, it seems a competition has been left between Wes Schweitzer, Sean Harlow, a rookie, Ben Garland, Robert Leff, and Trevor Robinson. Travis Averill and Cam Keizur are also expected to compete.

Sean Harlow has looked good, but I'd expect Wes Schweitzer to earn the starting spot. He's received praise from Alex Mack, who according to this article, said of Wes, "He’s a big powerful guy," Mack said. "He’s been hitting it pretty hard in the weight room. He’s done a real good job of working hard every day."

Hi praise from a 4 time pro bowler, but of course, the above could be said about any offensive lineman, yet I feel Wes will be the guy, with Harlow coming in at second and Garland at third.

If that guard spot can be filled by a man who will play with consistency and can build some good chemistry with the other guys, this unit should once again block and pound there way to the end zone. That is, of course, barring injury. *knock on wood*.

That was something the group largely avoided last season, and that certainly helped on there way to the playoffs.

It's kind of hard to find any big stats on offensive lineman (believe me, I tried), so you'll just have to take my word that this group is an excellent bunch. All you really need to do is look back on the 2016 season to see just how good this offensive line is by seeing just how successful that offense was.

There will be a few more injuries than last year because the Falcons got pretty dang lucky in that area, but don't expect them to take much of a step back.

That defense, though!

More like that D-Line. The Falcons return their 2016 league sack leader, Vic Beasley. He had 15.5 sacks last season. That's insane! He's listed as LB, but he's definitely more of a DE player. Here's the Depth chart on the DL.

LDE: Vic Beasley, Brooks Reed, Takkarist McKinley, Adrian Clayborn

DT:Dontari Poe, Derrick Shelby, Joe Vellano

DT:Grady Jarret, Courtney Upshaw, Taniela Tupou

RDE: Adrian Clayborn/Takkarist McKinley/Ra'Shede Hageman, Jack Crawford, Chris Odom

To some, that list may not mean much outside of Vic Beasley and Dontari Poe. But, Grady Jarret had 3 sacks in the Super Bowl, in case you forgot, and had 21 tackles. He was rotational player most of the season but really came on in the playoffs. Those two DTs will be huge this season, especially Poe. For those not familiar, he's a man that's 6'3" and 346, but has tried to shed weight for the Falcons during the off season to keep things under control. He'll be a big cog in a defense that has struggled to stop the run at times. Jarret will have more value rushing the passer.

At DE, there's Vic, who I talked about above, and then what could be an interesting competition for the other DE spot with Adrian Clayborn, Takk, and Hageman competing for the spot. I expect Adrian Clayborn to get most of the time at the beginning of the season for he is a solid player and Takk has a nagging shoulder injury going into training camp. Later on, I would expect Takk to win the starting job. Hageman can come into play as a rotational player when both Clay and Takk need a break, or he'll come in for different defensive packages.

The D-Line is going to be very, very good this season, and it won't be just a one man show in Vic Beasley this time around.

The group backing up the D-Line are the linebackers.

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This line backing group is going to be fast, dangerous, and ready to go.

The starting three LBs project to be De'Vondre Campbell, Deion Jones, and... well, it's a bit less clear there. Kemal Ishmael and Duke Riley are probably going to be locked in a battle through training camp. I would personally like Riley more. Go back above to my draft review if you want to here more.

What's special about this group of LBs? They are very young, with Deion and De' Vondre going into their second year and Riley going into his first. Ishmael is more of a veteran, who was drafted back in 2013. But their speed is truly something special. Deion ran a 4.38 40 yard dash, Riley ran a 4.58, and Campbell ran a 4.53 40. Those are all excellent times for linebackers.

This is a quote in an SI Article on Deion Jones. "The first time Jeff Ulbrich saw Deion Jones in person was at the 2016 NFL combine. Jones, a linebacker from LSU, went through the drills a little different from his peers. He would sprint, Ulbrich noticed, through the exercise and then keep going an extra five to 10 yards without slowing down. Ulbrich had seen the same thing watching Jones’s game tape: the way he raced to the ball with such urgency, as if getting there fulfilled some basic biological need."

His hustle showed through last season, as he had 108 tackles and 3 interceptions. I believe he has a chance to turn into a truly special player.

I'd expect nothing but excellence from this group. If injuries do happen to those top three, Brooks Reed and Ishamael provide good depth behind them.

The next group I'm going to preview is the DBs.

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They are lead by star corner back Desmond Trufant, who signed a five year, 68.75 million contract in the off season. I'm sure somebody reading this is thinking, who's Desmond Trufant? Well, he unfortunately was injured before the playoffs started and wasn't able to return. He was a pro bowler in 2015, and can lockdown any WR in the NFL. OK, OK not any reciever... just any receiver besides Julio Jones.

Marquand Manuel said this of Trufant in this ESPN article.

"If you step back and you look at him, he's a combination -- because he's not 6-2 and he's not Richard Sherman and he's not Charles Woodson, from that standpoint -- but me being around Charles, he has Woodson's savvy and swagger," Manuel said of Trufant. "And he has the quickness and speed of his brother, and the poise of his brother.

"But then you add that ingredient on to what he does of being a very physical corner that will come up and hit you. It's like the Ty Laws of the world and the Aaron Glenns that weren't big, but will come up and hit you. He's a combination of all those guys."

That's very high praise from an experienced coach.

Behind him at corner, we have Jalen Collins, who after Trufant went down got loads of experience as a number 1 CB. That should help him when he plays along side Trufant guarding other receivers, whoever that may be.

However, there have been some questions circulating around him during training camp on just what role he will play on the Falcons. Check out this article if you want more on that story line.

The next CB is Robert Alford. He was a very good player last season, and he snagged a pick six off of Brady in the Super Bowl. I like him to be ranked higher on the Falcon's depth chart than Collins going into this season.

The corner that frequently played in the Nickel is Brian Poole. He got plenty of experience and had 59 total tackles last season. He is a solid player who will make a good play when the Falcons need it. Demontae Kazee may also get time at the nickel position.

There is depth behind those guys as well, with CJ Goodwin and Akeem Ayers expected to gain snaps this season. All in all, this CB unit is experienced, has a star, and plenty of depth.

The safeties are pretty dang good as well. Keanu Neal can bring the lumber with huge hits, and he had 106 tackles throughout the season. He forced 5 fumbles and had 8 passes defended on the season too. He is reall a huge playmaker all over the field, and like I said before, will knock you senseless.

Ricardo Allen is also there at free safety. He is a very good all around player, as he can defend the run and the pass. Last season he had 90 tackles and 2 interceptions. He does face competition from Damontae Kazee, however, who has impressed in training camp. Kazee has had a few interceptions and is creating hype for himself, but I wouldn't be extremely worried if I was Ricardo Allen, as he played through last season as a solid player and earned the trust of Dan Quin. Allen has had problems with flags, and look for Kazee to get more time if that's a persistent issue.

The DBs will be a forced to be reckoned with, and they could surprise plenty of opponents with strong play all around.

The final two position groups I'll be previewing are the RBs and WRs.

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The WRs are led by the best Wide Receiver in the NFL, Julio Jones. He had 83 receptions and 1,409 yards last season, including 4 receptions and 87 yards in the Super Bowl. There are simply no words to describe Julio Jones. It pains me to even bring this up, but his catch in the Super Bowl was immaculate. He will be even better this season, in my opinion, because Matt Ryan will improve, which mean Julio will be even better. The rest of the NFL better watch out.

There is an array of great compliments to Julio, lead by Mohamed Sanu, who had 59 receptions for 653 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season. His playoffs were highlighted by the game against the Packers, where he lit them up for 5 receptions and 52 yards plus a touchdown. He is a vocal leader on and off the field, often ending up on Mic'd Up performances for the NFL. You should go check em out, he's pretty hilarious.

Taylor Gabriel is the perfect addition to the size and length of Sanu and Jones. The 5' 8" speedster can run a 4.27 40 yard dash, and he averaged 16.5 yards per catch. To give some perspective, OBJ averaged 13.5 yards per catch and Antonio Brown averaged 12.1. Julio Jones had 17 yards per catch, which may surprise some. But that's just the Falcons offense, what can I say :).

Trusty veterans Justin Hardy and Andre Roberts provide depth as well. Over all, this wide receiving core is up there for being the best in the league, and it will only be better this season. I didn't even mention Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman yet. Oh, I almost forgot. Silly. Austin Hooper and our Tight Ends!

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Hooper didn't have exactly a huge stat line, but he really came on towards the end of the season as he cemented his role in the offense. He was actually the most targeted player for Matty Ice in the Super Bowl, and he caught the early touchdown pictured above. I expect him to be even better this season, and the likes of GMFB (Good Morning Football) and many others have agreed that he is primed for a breakout season. Now, I'm not calling him the second coming of Tony Gonzalez, I'm just saying to expect higher usage of him as teams key in on all the other weapons (Coleman, Jones, Gabriel, Sanu) on offense. He'll be good this season, and I'd pick him up for your fantasy team if I were you. I did already :). For depth, the Falcons have the primarily blocking tight end Levoine Toilolo and rookie Eric Saubert.

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The next part of my positional preview is on the RBs; Tevin Coleman, Devonta Freeman, Brian Hill, and Terron Ward. Last season, Freeman had 227 yards for 1079 yards and 11 touchdowns, on the ground. For receptions, he had 54 for 462 yards and 2 TDs. He was excellent throughout the season, and had a very good playoffs and Super Bowl. Alongside Freeman there is Tevin Coleman, who is primarily a receiving back but can run the rock as well. On the ground, he had 118 rushes for 518 yards and 8 touchdowns. Through the air he had 31 receptions for 421 yards and three touchdowns. According to this article, Tevin will get even more routes to run this season. That should scare opponents with plays like this coming more often.

They will be imperative to the Falcon's success this season. If an injury occurs, the Falcons are placing their trust in backups Terron Ward and Brian Hill. Ward had some experience last season when Tevin Coleman went out for a short spell. You can read about Hill in the draft review above.

And last, but certainly not least, the Special Teams.

No worries, I'm good for more than 3 quarters of a season preview.

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Matt Bryant has been a good, clutch kicker throughout the years, and I'm sure he has a couple of good seasons left. He made 34/37 field goal attempts from last season, and 6 of those were from 50+. For punting, Matt Bosher has been Mr. Consistent. Last season he only had to punt 44 times, which is easily the lowest amount of punts over the past five years for him. That only reflects on the excellent job the offense did last season. He averaged 46.8 yards per punt last season, and since 2011, that number has only fluctuated 4 yards at the most. Like I said, Mr. Consistent.

For the return game, the Falcons got rid of Eric Weems after we all realized he was hardely a big play threat. The Falcons then brought in Andre Roberts, who isn't just a wide receiver but a return specialist as well. As a Lion last season he averaged 22 yards per kick return, for no scores. However, the previous season he averaged 33 yards per kick return with the Redskins and scored a touchdown. For punt returns he averaged 12.3 yards but also scored 2 touchdowns. I think he'll provide a much needed boost in the return game.

All in all, this roster returns and added talent all the way around, hardly losing a single player from last season's Super Bowl run. I whole heartedly believe nothing will stop this Falcons team, and neither do the players.

Schedule Preview

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I'm not going to go predicting our win loss record because that's just silly at this point. We all know we'll be 16-0.

Just kidding. But really, so much can happen between now and the beginning of the season that I'll do something else other than the score. I'll rate each matchup on how hard of a game it'll be, and what the storyline will be going into it.

Week 1- Falcons at Bears: I like this week one matchup. The biggest battle will be the Falcon's front seven versus Jordan Howard. The main story lines? Super Bowl Hangover (which is a load of bull in my opinion), how will the Falcon's offense run with Sarkisian at Coordinator, and will Mitch Trubisky get a shot at playing. This game won't be very tough, but could set a vibe to start out the season

Week 2- Packers at Falcons, Sunday Night Football: The biggest battle will be the Packers Defense trying to slow down the Falcons offense. The main story lines? The Falcons opening their new stadium, which is amazing, Aaron Rodger's revenge, and Jordy Nelson vs Desmond Trufant. This game will be very tough. I'm curious to see how Sarkisian will be doing at this point, and if Marquand Manuel has the defense up and running.

Week 3- Falcons at Lions: The biggest battle will be Stafford and his weapons versus the Falcon's defensive backs. The biggest story lines will really depend on the last game. If the Falcons win, then expect the storyline to be who exactly is going to stop the Falcons? If they lose, the story line will be about a possible SB Hangover. Also look for story lines about Stafford needing a boom or bust season and the Lion's running back situation. I don't think this game will be easy, but look for the Falcons to pull away in the second half.

Week 4- Bills at Falcons: The biggest battle will be the Falcon's defense versus Lesean McCoy, Tyrod Taylor, and Sammy Watkins. The biggest storylines will be: Matt Ryan for MVP again, Austin Hooper breaking out, and a new era of rebuilding coming up in Buffalo. How tough will this game be? I'd call it more of a breather after facing two straight 2016 playoff teams.

Week 5- Bye

Week 6- Dolphins at Falcons: Biggest Battle: Jay Anahi versus Falcons front seven. Biggest Storylines: Does Ryan Tannehill have what it takes to be the Dolphin QB of the future? Can Adam Gase use Ajayi well versus the Falcons? Will Julio Jones be able to be contained? I think this game will be tough, for the Dolphins aren't a bad team, but I have a hard time seeing them seriously being a threat to the Falcons offense.

Week 7- Falcons at Patriots: Biggest Battle: Falcon's defense versus Brady, Cooks, Edelman, Gronk, and Gillilslee. Biggest story lines: How will the Falcons respond to playing the Pats after last season, Ryan versus Brady, Quin versus Bill. This is a game of matchups, and who will win those matchups. This game will be the hardest of hard, the 120 McNugget challenge of challenges. I don't know who will come out of this one victorious, but it will be closely fought to the very final seconds. I wouldn't be shocked if Matt Bryant or Stephen Gostowski are on the field for the final play.

Week 8- Falcons at Jets: Biggest Battle: Ugh, I don't even know. Let's go with the amount of Jets fans that show up versus the amount of empty seats in the stadium. The biggest story lines: Will the Jets get Sam Darnold in the draft, will Julio Jones be offensive player of the year, and what will happen in the NFC South. This game will be easyyyyy.

Week 9- Falcons at Panthers: Biggest Battle: Christian McCaffrey and Cam Newton versus... I just had an absurd thought. What if the Panthers ran a triple option offense? Huh. Anyways, Cam and Christian versus the Falcons linebackers. Biggest Story lines: Can the Panthers steal a wild card spot from either the Bucs or Saints, will the Falcons reach 13+ wins, and will Kelvin Benjamin prove to be a number one receiver. This game could prove to be a trap game with the big Cowboy game coming up, but if the Falcons keep their eyes right in front of them instead of in the future they should be fine.

Week 10- Cowboys at Falcons: Biggest Battle: Zeke versus the Falcons front seven. Biggest Storylines: Possible NFC championship preview, battle for the NFC's number one seed, are the Falcons unstoppable, how will the Cowboys stop passing attacks in the playoffs. This game will be very tough, but I'd expect the home crowd to get behind the Falcons and carry them to a win.

Week 11- Falcons at Seahawks: Biggest Battle: Seattle's defense versus the Falcon's offense. Biggest Storylines: Pete Carroll versus Dan Quin, Julio Jones versus Richard Sherman, Referees, playoff preview? This game will be tough in Century Link, and it'll be close throughout. However, the Falcons have a better offense, so look for that to become apparent as the game goes on.

Week 12- Bucs at Falcons: Biggest Battle: Freeman and Coleman versus Bucs front seven. Biggest Storylines: NFC South crown, Elite Bucs offense, MVP race, wild card spot. This game will be a shoot out throughout most of it, but the Falcons have the better defense so the Bucs will get worried if they get field goals instead of TDs.

Week 13- Vikings at Falcons: Biggest Battle: Julio Jones versus Xavier Rhodes. Biggest Storylines: Home field advantage, Teddy Bridgewater (praying for this guy, by the way), Dalvin Cook, Matt Ryan for MVP, Austin Hooper breakout player of the year. This game will be a bit of a challenge to start out, but the Falcons will know their place and will put the Vikings in theirs.

Week 14- Saints at Falcons: Biggest Battle: Falcon's defense versus AP, Ingram, Thomas, and Snead. Biggest Storylines: Saints pushing for wild card spot, Drew Brees's last gasp, Adrian Peterson comeback player of the year, Julio Jones going for over 1,200 yards on the season. This game will be your classic Saints-Falcons matchup, with both teams bringing the offensive fireworks. But it really comes down to who can force field goals over touchdowns, and the Falcons are more capable of that.

Week 15- Falcons at Bucs: Biggest Battle: Falcons Secondary versus Desean Jackson, Mike Evans, and OJ Howard. Biggest story lines: Doug Martin, must win for Bucs, NFC South crown, Jameis Winston for MVP, Takk McKinley for defensive rookie of the year.

Week 16- Falcons at Saints: Biggest battle: Falcons offense versus Saints Defense. Biggest Storylines: Saints Must win for Wildcard, Falcons must win for home field advantage/bye in playoffs, Ryan already gaining MVP endorsements from former players. Julio Jones reaches 1,200 yards, AP reaches 800 yards. This game will be like the last one, except look for it to be more lopsided.

Week 17- Panthers at Falcons: Biggest Battle: Christian McCaffrey versus Falcons linebackers. Biggest Storylines: Cam still upset from hits to the head, Panthers must win to gain wild card spot from Bucs, McCaffrey rookie of the year. Jonathan Stewart announces he will retire after this season. This game will be tough for the Panthers will put up a stiff fight, but Vic Beasley could make a huge difference against Cam Newton's legs. Look for that to be a deciding factor in this one.

That's a wrap! Thanks for taking the time to read this. Go ahead and comment your thoughts and opinion, but try to refrain from being rude. I'll gladly respond to polite criticism but rude criticism isn't something I'll appreciate. Rise Up!!

<em>This FanPost was written by one of The Falcoholic's talented readers. It does not necessarily reflect the views of The Falcoholic.</em>