Falcons Coach Arthur Smith ‘Lot of Hope' for Future - Why?
The 2022 season is all but over for the Atlanta Falcons (6-10) after being eliminated from playoff contention in their loss to the Baltimore Ravens a week ago. Yet, as shown in their 20-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Falcons may have a future to look forward to.
"A lot of hope," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. "It's not just the rookies, but even some of the second-year guys and the guys that have made year three to four, there's a lot of growth, especially on the lines of scrimmage. Look at a guy like Chris Lindstrom - the jump he's made from Year 3 to Year 4.
“Really proud of those guys up front. Even a guy like Matt Hennessy gets in a position battle, and handles it about as well as anybody could've. ..."
The growth along the offensive line has been the foundation of a Falcons' rushing attack that is near the top of the NFL in rushing yards per game, 159 yards per game which rank them third-best. This hasn't gone unnoticed, as Lindstrom was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary are ranked near the top of their respective positions.
Like the rest of the team, the offensive line is relatively young; in fact, the Falcons have the most players in the league under that are 26 or younger.
It has been those young players who have starred. Running back Tyler Allgeier and wide receiver Drake London, both rookies, have been two of the more consistent weapons on offense. Allgeier has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, while London currently sits second all-time in receptions for a Falcons' rookie.
Even rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder could be a building block after stacking two performances in which he looked to have improved. Yes, he lacked a touchdown on the stat sheet, but his efficiency helped lead the Falcons to victory.
"We know that we can't be in the playoffs this year, but one thing that we talked about is that we want to finish these last few games strong," said Ridder. "Finish it for something good for the future, and obviously, that started well (against Arizona).”
The final game for the Falcons will be at home against the NFC South division-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. … a chance to watch a continuation of “hope.”
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