“People are sleeping on the Falcons,” says former Atlanta quarterback

Danny Kanell thinks the Atlanta Falcons' offense and new running back Todd Gurley are impressive and underrated.

While he didn’t guarantee any playoff appearances, Danny Kanell is quite high on the Atlanta Falcons.

The former NFL quarterback — who played six seasons in the league including two as a backup in Atlanta — and now CBS Sports analyst appeared on CBS Sports HQ Friday and was asked how much pressure is on offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and running back Todd Gurley in 2020.

"I think people are sleeping on the Falcons. Everyone's talking about, in this division, the Saints and the Bucs."

Matt Ryan. Julio Jones. Todd Gurley.

Do the Falcons have the best trio in the NFL? @dannykanell gives his thoughts@NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/npPgk2uWq4

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) May 15, 2020

“There’s a lot,” Kanell said. “I don’t think it’s anywhere near as much as on Dan Quinn, the head coach who's probably on the hot seat, and if they don’t turn this thing around, he’s probably going to find himself looking for a new job. But with this offense, I think people are sleeping on the Falcons.

“I think everyone is talking about, in (the NFC South division), the Saints and the Bucs and deservedly so. Those are the top two teams. But I think Matt Ryan is a future Hall of Famer. I think you’ve got some really impressive pieces there, and a lot of it will hinge on Todd Gurley.”

In March, Gurley was cut by the Los Angeles Rams before inking a one-year deal with the Falcons. He fought some nagging leg injuries last season but rushed for 857 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was a first-team all-pro player as recently as 2018.

Kanell said Atlanta’s chances don’t rest solely on Gurley’s shoulders, though.

“I don’t think he’s a make-or-break player, though,” Kanell said. “If he doesn’t pan out, if you look at Matt Ryan and the type of statistics, the types of numbers he’s delivered consistently out of the majority of his career, they’ll be OK. But where I do think it can make the difference is, is this Falcons team a playoff team?

“If Todd Gurley overperforms and he is, quote, ‘back” to any resemblance of his MVP-type season he had a couple of years ago with the Rams, that sets the Falcons up clearly in a much better position.”

Kanell did not mention Atlanta’s defense, which the organization has focused on this offseason.