A strong start in 2015 made the second half of the season that much more painful to watch for Atlanta Falcons fans. After winning the first five games, the Falcons lost eight of the last 11, including a six-game losing streak.
There were some bright spots which head coach Dan Quinn hopes to build on in his second season. Devonta Freeman stormed onto the scene to seize the starting running back job, but the lack of a productive second wide receiver left quarterback Matt Ryan hanging. And a mediocre defense meant the Falcons lacked the firepower needed to sustain their early season success.
Atlanta Falcons Regular Season Win Total Odds at BookMaker.eu
Falcons Over 7.5 Wins +116
Falcons Under 7.5 Wins -137
The Falcons fast start in 2015 really masked their deficiencies and gave not only the fans, but the club, a false sense of its true identity. The poor second half wasn’t likely a true barometer either, but the final result – an 8-8 overall record – is in line with where the club truly is.
Moving forward, Quinn is looking to expand on the culture he began putting in place in his first year. He learned all about a winning culture when he was the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator in 2013-2014. In his first season with the Falcons, he brought with him a tough attitude and swagger.
Quinn tried to mold the defense into a unit similar to what he had while winning a Super Bowl in Seattle and quickly realized he didn’t have the weapons. The Falcons used their first round pick on safety Keanu Neal and invested heavily on free agent defenders to try and figure out a way to compete with the Panthers in the NFC South.
2016 Atlanta Falcons Schedule
Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3
Week 2: at Oakland Raiders -3.5
Week 3: at New Orleans Saints -1.5
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers -3.5
Week 5: at Denver Broncos -6.5
Week 6: at Seattle Seahawks -10
Week 7: vs. San Diego Chargers +3
Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers -4
Week 9: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1.5
Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles -2.5
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals -2.5
Week 13: vs. Kansas City Chiefs PK
Week 14: at Los Angeles Rams -3
Week 15 vs. San Francisco 49ers +5
Week 16: at Carolina Panthers -8.5
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints
The Falcons are going to make or break their 2016 season in the first six games, given that they face a difficult stretch against their NFC South brethren, the Raiders, Broncos and then the Seahawks. Come out of that stretch at .500 and the birds can easily top their projected win total and be contenders the rest of the way. Anything less makes the remaining part of the schedule a bit more difficult. Atlanta also gets four of its final six games at home following the bye week, which should help.
QUICK PICK
The offense was nearly unstoppable as the Falcons raced to a 6-1 start last season, but as teams adjusted, they faded and ended with an 8-8 record. Atlanta should be productive again with Ryan chucking the ball to Julio Jones, who moves up a spot on the list of best NFL receivers following the retirement of Calvin Johnson in Detroit.
Jones had the most catches and receiving yards in the league last season, but the Falcons didn’t get much help on the other side. They need someone to make defenses pay for rolling coverage to Jones. Can Muhammad Sanu be that guy?
Ryan certainly hopes so. And with a talented duo of running backs in Freeman and Tevin Coleman, the offense should be a little more diverse. As long as the unit – particularly Ryan – avoids turnovers, it should be closer to the first half production rather than the second half output from last season.
Two losses to Tampa Bay, two to New Orleans and an ugly defeat in San Francisco summed up the 2015 season. Avoid those horrible letdowns against obvious lesser teams and the Falcons are looking at a playoff spot.
NFL Odds: Atlanta Falcons Over 7.5 Wins
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