Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Monday, Nov. 5

The Falcons just played their best game of the season: a thorough dismantling of Washington to the tune of 38-14. Atlanta looked solid in all three phases, and now move to an even 4-4.

Feels good, right?

Yeah, it does.

Let’s jump into Monday morning’s edition of Falcoholinks.

Julio gets in

It’s been a long time coming, but finally, finally, Julio Jones found his way into the end zone against Washington. In typical Julio fashion he bullied his way in, fighting off safety Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix and backing up over the goal line. It put the game firmly out of reach for Alex Smith, and knocked off a nagging narrative along the way.

That definitely took some work from the Falcons’ social media team. Well done.

A team finally clicking

This was, hands down, the best performance from the Atlanta Falcons in 2018. In a year where a litany of impact starters are on the shelf, the Falcons put together a truly complete game — offense, defense, special teams: it was a joy to watch.

Other than the opener against Philadelphia, the offensive potential has never been in question — and the offense showed up in a big way in D.C., dropping 38 points against a stout Washington defense. But the defense also looked much improved coming out of the bye, and the result was a resounding win on the road.

Falcons’ editor Dave Choate wrote a bit about how this game was the first culmination of Atlanta’s potential — injuries and all — and it’s certainly worth a read.

The Falcoholic Live Postgame Special

Our Kevin Knight was joined once more by Falcoholic writer Adnan Ikic to discuss the outcome of Atlanta’s win over Washington. Julio scored, Matt Ryan is keeping up his torrid pace, and the Falcons’ ground game defied odds against an extremely tough ‘Skins front seven. Be sure to give it a watch, here.

MVP campaign?

Matt Ryan is scorching so far in 2018, and if the Falcons’ weren’t merely at .500 you can bet his name would be in the thick of the MVP conversation. Should Atlanta go on a tear in the second half and Ryan keeps up his good work, he would certainly be deserving.

Awards and accolades should obviously not be at the forefront of anyone’s mind, especially when the Falcons are trying to claw their way into the playoff picture. But stats don’t lie, and Matt Ryan deserves to be lauded for the campaign he’s put together so far.