NFL Offense Rankings: Falcons Forging 'Unique Identity'
The Atlanta Falcons' offense is a massive question mark coming into the 2023 season.
Even though the team has drafted a top-10 pick in each of the past three seasons on a skill player, the Falcons still have a question mark at quarterback. Given the team's quarterback struggles, Atlanta seeks to win games with the rushing attack ... one that hopes to be among the league's best.
With the team's shaky passing game but effective rushing attack, the Falcons ranked 16th in Bleacher Report's offensive rankings.
"Arthur Smith is the right guy to bring this personnel together," Bleacher Report writes. "At Tennessee, he helped build offenses around Derrick Henry that went to, and had success in, the playoffs. The biggest question is whether Desmond Ridder can be the quarterback who makes it work. This team isn't going to approach offense the same as most of the league. They are well-equipped to forge a unique identity, though."
It remains to be seen how much the Falcons will commit to the run, but drafting Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 pick in the draft could mean Atlanta will run the ball more than any other team in the league. Teaming Robinson up with Tyler Allgeier, who broke the franchise record for rushing yards by a rookie in 2022, could create one of the league's most dynamic duos.
While the rest of the league plans to advance the ball with more emphasis through the air, the Falcons hope to turn back the clock with traditional, smash mouth football ... and if it works, Atlanta could be one of the league's biggest surprises in the upcoming season.
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