Falcons Friday is something new for our Atlanta Falcons fans. With opening day exactly 60 days from now, football season is approaching quickly. Training camp is coming up, meaning preseason games will be coming on soon. When the season starts, this section will have Q & A’s that we will answer. We will also have a preview and prediction of the upcoming game. For now, we will answer your questions each and every Friday. So don’t be afraid and ask away!
@SportsTalkATL How well do you think Matt Ryan will perform this season ?
— Logan Landers (@logan_landers) July 17, 2015
Matt Ryan will have a career year this year. Why? My gut feeling is that the offensive line will be a lot better than it has in the past couple years. The running game will create openings, setting up play-action passes for Ryan. Kyle Shanahan has mainly focused on the running game, but he has never coached a player with the caliber of Ryan. He will find ways to set up his quarterback for success. Expect Ryan to have less interceptions than the past two years, and expect Ryan’s passing percentage to keep getting higher.
@SportsTalkATL why are we convinced that a new coach will suddenly make our pass rush at least decent?
— D Lew (@lew_dovid) July 17, 2015
A coach is not going to improve this pass rush by himself. Adding talent and different coaches is why Falcons fans have higher expectations. Atlanta did not add any star pass rushers, but they added veterans such as Adrian Clayborn and O’Brien Schofield. They also added a potential edge rushing star in Vic Beasley, the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Quinn brings a vast amount of knowledge on the defensive side of the ball, and he and Richard Smith will have a more aggressive defensive scheme in order to hit the opposing quarterback. If the Falcons defense cannot surpass 22 sacks this season, then I will be very surprised.
@SportsTalkATL In your opinion, how many wins does ATL need to consider this season a success?
— Laterz (@bnchknbn) July 17, 2015
I think if the team wins 10 games and maybe slides their way into the playoffs, the season would be a huge success. Dan Quinn made some great finds this offseason, but there are still some glaring holes that need to be fixed before this team can win a Super Bowl. Considering the amount of change that has gone on around the organization, it will not be easy to win even 10 games, but the schedule is weak, and I believe the Falcons are heading in the right direction.
Desmond Trufant until proven otherwise.
@SportsTalkATL how confindent are these falcons right now? #AskSportsTalkATL
— Justin Tyler Rowland (@1JustinRowland) July 17, 2015
There is a new kind of mood surrounding the Falcons organization with all of the changes. These Falcons are more confident than they were in 2014. They were one game away from winning the NFC South title. Probably not saying much with how horrendous the division was last year, but history would still have had them as division winners. The Falcons have had a very busy offseason in order to help this team get back to their winning ways. The team fired former head coach Mike Smith, who did wonders for the team when he got there. They added new talent and had a great 2015 draft. While they added talent, the did also lose a couple players. Most notably losing Corey Peters and Sean Weatherspoon to Arizona. The new coach and new talent is something the Falcons needed, as a change in personnel can create a new atmosphere. This new atmosphere will have the players and coaches confident that they can turn this team around.
With Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman on the team, I don’t see Smith getting the chance to start. However, Smith has always impressed when given the opportunity. So if there are any injuries to the running backs, Smith will have the chance to get the start. If he starts for a couple games this year, I won’t lose any sleep over it. He finds ways to get into the endzone, and isn’t that what you look for in an offensive player?