After making it to the NFC Championship game last year for the first time in the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era, the Atlanta Falcons have taken a dramatic step backward in the 2013-2014 season.
The Falcons came into this year's season with high expectations after starting last year 8-0, finishing the year 13-3 and almost making it to their first Super Bowl since 1998. The 2013 season, however, has not gone the way the Falcons had hoped. Atlanta has started the year 2-6, losing five of their last six games.
The frustrating start to the season has brought pressure to Head Coach Mike Smith, as some NFL analysts believe Smith might lose his job at the end of the season. Many Falcons fans also have been disappointed in the performance of star quarterback Matt Ryan, who has thrown 10 interceptions in the eight games the Falcons have played so far this season.
Even though it may seem that the Falcons are heading in the wrong direction, now is not the time for Falcons fans to panic.
One of the major reasons the Falcons have struggled this season has been the inability of their star players to stay on the field.
Steven Jackson, the team's starting running back who was signed to replace the aging Michael Turner, missed four games with a hamstring injury.
The Falcons have had very limited success this season running the ball when Jackson is not in the lineup. Atlanta has also struggled to keep its two Pro Bowl wide receivers on the field.
Julio Jones is out for the year after having foot surgery, while Roddy White has missed three games with ankle and hamstring injuries and has been fighting through pain in the games he has played in.
Without these two major playmakers, Matt Ryan has had trouble finding open receivers to throw to throughout the season, forcing him to throw into tight coverage and leading to his struggles to limit interceptions. Another issue, which has hampered the team's success this year, is their pass rush.
Atlanta has been unable to provide its defense with a consistent pass rush from their front four let by Jonathan Babineaux and Osi Umenyiora, sitting at 24th in the league in sacks. This has allowed opposing quarterbacks to sit back in the pocket and pick apart the Falcons secondary.
The coaching staff has tried to create more of a pass rush by blitzing in more situations. The blitzes, however, have left a weak secondary alone and defenseless.
To say there are a few problems with this team would be an understatement. The team is getting a little too old, and there are significant holes on the defensive side of the ball. But now is not the time to go into panic mode.
Firing Mike Smith would be a major overreaction and a huge mistake. Smith has been an extremely successful head coach during his time with the Falcons and should be given the opportunity to redeem himself.
To do that, General Manager Thomas Dimitroff must go out this offseason and get younger, faster players on defense. The offense should be in good shape.
Even though future Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez will probably retire, White and Jones will return to being the productive Pro Bowl receivers they have been in the past. This will provide Matt Ryan with the weapons he needs to be a successful quarterback in the National Football League.
Sure, this year was an off-year. But one off-year does not mean the beginning of a rebuilding era. The Falcons will be back next year healthy and contending in the competitive NFC South.
– By Brian Chavkin
Photo courtesy of Flickr, Football Schedule
