Large Leap in Performance Last Hope to Save Falcons Season

The Atlanta Falcons are in a downward spiral, and it's going to take a major step forward in how they approach each week to correct course

The Falcons might already be in a hole they can't climb out of | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Roughly halfway through October, the Atlanta Falcons were sitting at 3-2 and coming off a huge 24-14 victory over Super Bowl contenders the Buffalo Bills. They haven’t won a game since, and their playoff chances have drastically dropped. However, the team hasn’t thrown in the towel yet, or at least, so they say. 

“We [the Falcons] all have to elevate, and our process is what drives us, and we have to make our process even better than it's ever been,” Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich told the media on Wednesday. 

Ulbrich didn’t just talk about improvement in vague terms; he defined exactly what said “elevation” would entail.

“World-class meetings, world-class walkthroughs, world-class practice,” Ulbrich said. “And I’m fortunate because this group is 100% all in on that.” That commitment wasn’t just all talk, either. On Wednesday, the team fully embodied that mentality.

“Today was so far the best meetings, the best walkthroughs, and the best practice we’ve had since I’ve been here, so excited about what that would say about this group,” he said.

Playoff hopes look bleak for Atlanta right now, sitting three games under .500. Confidence hasn’t been lost yet, and that determination was clear even before Ulbrich’s message to “elevate.”

“I don’t just play to participate, I play to win,” Rookie Jalon Walker told the media following Atlanta’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. 

Walker’s comment underscores that the players’ competitive fire hasn’t dimmed, even with four straight losses. Members of the Falcons still want to make an impact on the field, an impact that can lead to wins. For the team as a whole, Ulbrich’s “world-class” approach will be the key to translating that individual determination into consistent preparation, execution and hopefully results. 

Atlanta needs to be “world-class” during every practice, every meeting, every play, because one mistake could end their very slim playoff chances. Sunday showed exactly what the team can’t do: easing up before the whistle, allowing Johnathon Taylor’s 83-yard go-ahead score. 

After four straight losses, the Falcons know they need to start somewhere to get back on track, and that start could be as simple as one hard-earned victory. 

“Just go out there and get that first win,” wide receiver Drake London said last week. “So we can get that domino effect and just keep on stacking wins.”