Falcons Can Win NFC South, Says New Signee Jessie Bates III

Jessie Bates III left the contending Cincinnati Bengals to sign with the rebuilding Atlanta Falcons. But he believes there could be a quick turnaround in Atlanta and he wants to be part of it.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 19, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

It's been five years since the Atlanta Falcons last played in a playoff game, a drought the team is looking to end this upcoming season.

The team's free agency haul thus far has been pointed towards trying to end the team's misfortunes. And one free agent in particular believes the Falcons are ready to compete for the postseason.

"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," Jessie Bates III said. "The guys in this locker room are more than capable of winning the division."

Bates knows a thing or two about winning in the NFL. During the past two seasons, Bates has played on the largest stages ... two AFC Championships and a Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals. But it didn't start out that way. In 2019, Bates' second season in the NFL, the Bengals bottomed out and finished with the league's worst record. Within two years, the Bengals went from the league's worst to a drive away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

"You look at the potential of this team and where we can get," Bates said. "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."

The Falcons don't have the largest of expectations going into the season, but that might be a good thing. Players are signing with Atlanta to be part of something special. Now, it's time to execute the vision each of them have.

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Published Mar 19, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.