By Jacob Horton
Could 2014 be a turnaround year for the Atlanta Falcons? As the NFL regular season kicked off last week, teams all over the league looked to start off their campaign towards the coveted Lombardi Trophy with a victory. Arguably no team in all of football was as ready to move on from last season as the Atlanta Falcons.
One could say that 2013 was a disappointing season coming off a year, in 2012, in which the team weas one game away from reaching the Super Bowl. After posting an abysmal regular season record of 4-12 in 2013, the Falcons arelooking to fulfill their championship potential in 2014.
It all started this offseason when the team brought in some big names via free agency and the NFL Draft. In the month of March,the Falcons made a big splash in the free agent market when they signed wide receiver Devin Hester.
Hester, a University of Miami alumnus, brings a new element of explosiveness to the Falcons roster. In his ninth NFL season, Hester is only one touchdown shy of breaking Deon Sanders record for most return touchdowns in NFL history with 19. During his tenure, Hester has returned 13 punts, five kickoffs, and one missed field goal for a touchdown. Look for the Falcons to utilize Hester’s abilities in a variety of ways this season.
In April, the Falcons selected Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews with the sixth pick overall in the draft. Matthews comes from a long bloodline of NFL talent, including his father, Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, and cousin, Clay Matthews III, who plays linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. While at Texas A&M, Matthews served as the driving force behind an offensive line that was given the task of protecting Johnny Manziel. Defending a less mobile Matt Ryan should be no problem for Matthews.
Whether or not the Falcons can win on the road will bea huge factor in this season’s success. In recent years, tough games away from the Georgia Dome have given the Falcons the majority of their losses. It is almost as if they are a completely different team at home versus on the road. They face a tough slate of road games in the upcoming weeks against the Baltimore Ravens, the Green Bay Packers, division rivals Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.
Ultimately, health will be the determining factor for the Falcons this season. Last season, the injury bug plagued the team like no other in the NFL. Steven Jackson, their starting running back and prized 2012 off season acquisition, saw limited action in six consecutive weeks in 2013 with a hamstring injury. Both Roddy White and Julio Jones, Atlanta’s top two receiving targets, missed significant amounts of playing time via the injury as well. With a restricted number of skill players, quarterback Matt Ryan couldn’t manage to lead his team to another postseason berth. If the Falcons can remain healthy this season, expect them to be right in the mix of things when the NFL regular season ends.
With a big win over the New Orleans Saints last week, the Falcons looked primed and ready for the 2014 NFL season. However, yesterday’s lackluster performance in Cincinnati against the Bengals showed that Atlanta is only going to be as good as its away-game performances this season. The Falcons have the fire power on offense to be a Super Bowl contender. If they can maximize their potential and put together a few key road victories, look for the Falcons to turn things around this season.
Great article. I really thought that New Orleans would have the edge in that division. I am sure that it will be a battle until the end. There is a lot of football left to play.