Falcons fan confidence is a herd of bison hurtling over a very large cliff heading into Week 2

As a fanbase, we’re not exactly known for reacting coolly or calmly when the Falcons do not do well. There are moments where that kind of instant panic and frustration are not justified, but the Falconly arc of the universe is long, and it bends toward failure. We’re all well aware of that.

That’s why the Week 1 loss to the Seahawks produced the graph you’ll see below. Before Week 1, confidence in the team’s direction per our SB Nation Reacts poll was hovering around 70% of responding fans, a sign that an offseason of good vibes and COVID-19 dodging had produced some sort of hope. Alas, that number now stands at 15%.

Yes, fan confidence is back where it was at the end of 2019, following a frustrating 7-9 season capped off by the controversial decision to keep the coaching staff and front office more or less intact. I wouldn’t suggest this poll should be taken as gospel, but I think it indicates that the thought “same old Falcons” entered a lot of minds after last Sunday.

This number will likely bounce back up anywhere from 20-40% if Atlanta wins, because we tend to overreact as a fanbase and a solid road victory against Dallas would be taken as a sign that Week 1 is an aberration. Getting to 0-2 would probably bury this thing in the single digits, where the Falcons visited at times during their 1-7 run a year ago, and would likely lead to the already noisy grumblings about major change in Atlanta becoming full-blown shouting.

Let’s hope for the best, because I’m not keen to spend many more miserable Sundays this fall.