What a difference a year makes; the Atlanta Falcons actually have an offense worth getting excited about.
This time last season, some Falcons fans were trying to talk themselves into believing Desmond Ridder could develop into a serviceable starter. Now, we are watching the most improved offense in football by EPA per play.
“The Falcons have made the biggest jump, from No. 26 last season to No. 7 through Week 9 this season,” Mike Sando of The Athletic writes. “The Falcons are already 93 percent of the way toward their 2023 full-season total for yardage when targeting wide receivers. They have 1,535 yards passing to wide receivers through Week 9 after having 1,650 all last season, when Ridder started 13 games for them.”
Kirk Cousins has already thrown for 17 touchdowns, which is as many as Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke threw all of last season. He’s squarely in the top 10 of players at his position, ranking fourth in the league in passing yards (2,328), fourth in touchdowns (17), ninth in completion percentage (69.2%), and ninth in passer rating (101.9)
The $180 million investment in the veteran signal caller has paid massive dividends. Cousins has helped Atlanta’s Big 3 of Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson realize their full potential. Darnell Mooney is amid a career year, and we are only about halfway through the 2024 campaign.
There’s no reason to think this train is slowing down. The more Cousins and Zac Robinson familiarize themselves with each other and the Falcons offensive pieces, the better the overall group is going to look.
It’s already an effective offense, but there’s room to grow. What a difference a year makes!
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