Buccaneers NFC South Analysis: Atlanta Falcons

It’s a mixed bag for the Falcons moving forward.

As far as coaching goes, Dan Quinn wasn’t the guy. None of the guys Dan Quinn brought in were the guys. It was time to clean house, and the Falcons ownership finally had enough. Arthur Smith was a great hire considering the options. As with all first-time head coaches, you don’t really know what you’re getting, but it’s the right direction. If he can do half of what he did for Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry in Tennessee, the Falcons made the right move.

Dean Pees other than having a funny name is a great defensive coordinator. Oddly, he’s been marred with giving up big leads in the last few years, which seems like a questionable addition to a team that’s become known for exactly that. He has turned some pretty average squads into formidable defenses in the past (2018-2019 Titans).

Offensive coordinator Dave Ragone has proven that he can take some much-maligned quarterbacks and make them… pretty much unchanged? His claim to fame is working as Mitchell Trubisky’s quarterback coach and the passing game coordinator for the Bears in 2020. Not exactly a glowing resume. Not sure about this one, but Smith must have seen something in him.

When it comes to the quarterback, there’s not much to talk about really. They may try and find an eventual replacement, but it looks like Ryan be back under center next year. He’s a top half of the league quarterback, and almost none of this year was on him. He’s not someone who is going to take an average squad very far, but with the right pieces, he could obviously win a Superbowl.

For 2021, the Falcons are in a bad way. This was the year to turn it around. With the Covid Cap hit and kicking the can down the road, they’re 16 million over the cap, and have a pretty underwhelming offensive line, defensive line, and secondary. That’s with saving almost seven million cutting a good starting safety in Ricardo Allen. This just isn’t something you can fix with a handful of draft picks. It honestly should be a trade Matt Ryan and Julio Jones while they still have decent value rebuild. Think of a less extreme version of the 2019 Dolphins. Blow it up Falcons. Arthur Smith would have to work some serious magic to get them in contention this year.

Final record = 6 and 10. (7 and 10 if they add a game to the season).