For the first time in years, the Falcons have a legitimate chance to make it to the postseason in 2023. Because of a mountain cap space, Atlanta overhauled the roster with a ton of talent. Moreover, the division is up for grabs with Tom Brady retiring. Thus prompting new signee Jessie Bates III to make a jarring comparison.
“You look at the potential of this team and where we can get,” Bates said during his introductory press conference with the Falcons. “I’ve been in that transition year of winning the division and then going to the playoffs and nobody knowing the Bengals were going to go to the Super Bowl. So, I think it’s a very similar situation here.
“This division is up in the air, and it’s for us to take, but we all know that won’t be easy, which is fine. I think that the guys in this locker room are more than capable of winning the division.”
It’s been five years since the Falcons played meaningful football in January, and it’s a drought that could very well end this season. Bates knows better than most how fast a club can turn it around. During the last two seasons, he’s played in two AFC Championships and a Super Bowl with the Bengals, which is a stark difference from how he began his career in Cincinnati, with the worst record in the league at one point.
I love the confidence Jessie Bates III is displaying, and I believe the Falcons could seriously host a playoff game in 2023 because the NFC South is so terrible, but there’s one clear difference between those Bengals and these Falcons — Joe Burrow.
The Falcons may have a roster that will win the division, but it certainly isn’t one that can make it to the Super Bowl, even in a piss poor NFC. Until Atlanta figures out the quarterback position, their ceiling will be limited. Desmond Ridder might prove to be the guy, but that’s yet to be seen.
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