Why Falcons Will Miss Playoffs Again, Join NFL 'Purgatory'
There's a lot of optimism surrounding the Atlanta Falcons going into the season.
After the team made improvements on both sides of the football, especially on defense, there's reason to believe the Falcons will be better than they were last season. Add the fact that the NFC South appears as wide-open as ever, and Atlanta could end its six-year playoff drought.
However, optimism does not equal results, and Bleacher Report believes the positive moves on paper won't exactly translate on the field, finishing in another failed postseason berth for the Falcons.
"While Atlanta is loaded with rising stars on offense and boasts an improving defense, the lack of star power under center will be this team's undoing," Bleacher Report writes. "Barring a drastic move, the team is in real danger of lingering in the NFL's version of purgatory, faring well enough to miss out on a top pick but not being strong enough to contend for the playoffs."
The Falcons have a lot of faith in second-year pro Desmond Ridder at quarterback, choosing to slot him in as the starter over other potential options the team could have signed in free agency, like Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo or even Lamar Jackson.
Atlanta opted to spend majority of its surplus of cap space on the defense, signing key veterans on all three levels, including Calais Campbell, David Onyemata, Kaden Elliss and Jessie Bates III among others.
The Falcons' moves this offseason indicate that the postseason is their goal, but if that mark isn't accomplished, it could result in some major changes for Atlanta.
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