The big-picture conversation surrounding the NFL season is often as much about projecting a team's fortunes in January as it is a static evaluation of a club's performance at any given moment. For the Atlanta Falcons, the 2017 campaign served as an extended therapy session, and they found collective catharsis by securing a playoff spot, conclusively moving on from the catastrophe of Super Bowl LI.
Though Atlanta raced out to a 3-0 start, the majority of football writers found it unconvincing. When the Falcons dropped their next three games, including a 23-7 loss to Super Bowl nemeses the New England Patriots, observers blamed their lack of offensive ingenuity. Imagine a classic talk-radio voice reeling off the following questions about Atlanta from mid-October:
Can the Falcons overcome Kyle Shanahan's departure to the 49ers? Will they ever learn how to use Julio Jones correctly? They'll never get over 28-3, right?
These notions had a fleeting shelf life, but the narrative persisted. By the time the Falcons roared back, the national conversation had moved on to the upstart Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, the New Orleans Saints' two-headed monster at running back, an impressive rookie class, and the Patriots' rote dominance. Despite boasting the reigning NFL MVP (Matt Ryan), a top-three wide receiver (Julio Jones) and a young, ferocious top-10 defense (Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, Grady Jarrett, and Vic Beasley Jr. ought not to be strangers anymore), the Falcons slipped under the radar.
After disposing of the Los Angeles Rams with relative ease Saturday, though, the Falcons are no longer avatars of heartbreak, and they're making coordinators on both sides of the ball lose sleep.
Despite entering the weekend as the No. 6 seed, the Falcons are three-point favorites against the Eagles. That's more a reflection of their potency than a dismissal of the NFC's top seed sans Carson Wentz. Atlanta finished with the ninth-ranked weighted offense as of Jan. 1 (per Football Outsiders), and no team - save for the Saints - has an answer for their two-pronged running game. Julio Jones was used sparingly throughout the season in the red zone despite assurances from offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian that he'd get his touches; on Saturday, the five-time Pro Bowler rendered Rams safety John Johnson III helpless on an 8-yard score while the team made a concerted effort to find him in every third of the field. The Falcons were arguably too talented to approach the regular season with the consistent focus some other teams require, and they surely appear to be peaking at the right time.
Atlanta's defense is stronger than ever, undeterred by last year's outcome. Deion Jones is on the cusp of stardom and is arguably the NFL's best cover linebacker (with Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly rounding out the conversation). Neal is the NFL's most devastating open-field hitter. Jarrett is among the best run-stoppers in the game. Beasley is regaining his best form as a pass-rusher. Desmond Trufant - a top-tier cornerback when healthy - is back this season after missing most of 2016 with a shoulder injury, and 2017 first-rounder Takk McKinley is featuring as a proficient edge rusher, while Dontari Poe blots out the sun at nose tackle. This unit is coming of age, reaching its immense potential as winter rages on.
That's a terrifying proposition for the Eagles and Vikings, who lack proven quarterbacks (The Rise Of Case Keenum be damned), and the Saints, who are wholly untested beyond Drew Brees and Cam Jordan. Even New England, the prohibitive favorite in the AFC, should hope to avoid a supremely motivated Atlanta team that can mirror each of its strengths. The Falcons can potentially keep pace with the Patriots, run the clock out with a lead, attack with physicality and pace, and match New England's in-game substitutions, led by the brain trust of Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel. They entered this postseason with a more mature, experienced defense; several game-breaking playmakers; and even greater cohesiveness after going through a horrific loss together.
The Falcons slipped under the radar and overcame the effects of the Super Bowl LI catastrophe during the 2017 campaign. Now the sleeping giant is fully awake, ready to wreak havoc on the rest of the playoff field.
