After a shaky start, the Atlanta Falcons finally appear to be on the path to normalcy. They currently lead the NFC South with a 5-3 record after Week 8 and appear to have found a groove with new additions in quarterback Kirk Cousins and head coach Raheem Morris. The Falcons fan base experienced a nasty shock when the team came out flat in a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the season opener. The poor performance of Cousins, who looked rusty in his return from a torn Achilles tendon, was an unfortunate sub-plot of the early part of the season. Fortunately, they have rebounded nicely, albeit stumbling against the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks.
After the loss to the Steelers, the Falcons made a statement against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. Cousins, who has 33 game winning drives in his career, stepped up once again when the team needed him most. The Falcons quarterback marched the Falcons down the field, connecting with wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Kyle Pitts, to get the Falcons into the redzone. Wide receiver Drake London capped off the drive with a clutch touchdown catch to put the Falcons up 22-21 with 34 seconds left in the game. Safety Jessie Bates III iced the game with an interception and secured the Falcons’ first win of the season. The win put the Falcons on the national radar.
After the thrilling win against the Eagles, the Falcons lost to the Chiefs in a close game where they had no answer for Kansas City receiver Rashee Rice. The Dirty Birds put that game behind them by winning three games in a row against divisional opponents to propel them to the top of the division. Morris has given the Falcons new hope and swagger that has reverberated throughout the team. To borrow a line from Atlanta rapper Bankroll Fresh referenced by Cousins, the Falcons want to be a team that will “walk in your trap and take over your trap.”
Under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, the Falcons offense is currently ranked seventh in yards per game with 371.6. Robinson has unlocked the talent of his skill players that was previously underutilized under the old regime. Already one of the best at his position, running back Bijan Robinson is on pace for more scrimmage yards than last year as he ranks fourth in the NFL in combined rushing and receiving yards. He finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting last season and is capable of taking another step forward as the engine of the team’s offense. Pitts struggled in recent seasons, but this season has restored the productive form he showed as a rookie Pro Bowler. Like Pitts, London struggled last year in an offense with a middling passing attack, but is now leading the team in receiving yards. Mooney, who previously floundered with the Chicago Bears, has become a reliable third receiver option for Cousins. Cousins, after a rough first start, has been a revelation for the Falcons. He currently ranks third in passing yards with 2106 among all quarterbacks and set a new Falcons franchise record for passing yards in a game with 509 in a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While the Falcons’ defense is not a smothering force by any means, they have been an average unit that can come up with critical stops when it matters most. The safety duo of Justin Simmons and Bates III anchor the defense. Their high-level play has been critical in the Falcons standing in the top-10 for interceptions forced. Despite being a prolific ball hawking team, the unit is still middling when it comes to stopping the pass, ranking 18th league-wide in passing yards conceded per game. The real concern for the defense is their inability to create pressure on the quarterback — even with the addition of Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon, Atlanta’s six sacks as a team ranks last in the NFL.
On special teams, they remain excellent with good performances from kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Bradley Pinion. Koo has already hit one game-winning field goal and is 16 for 20 on the season. Punter Bradley Pinion has recorded just one touchback this season, showcasing his pin-point accuracy.
After a strong start, the Falcons will need to persevere during a challenging second half if they want to break their postseason drought. This Sunday, Atlanta takes on a Dallas Cowboys team that is strong on paper, but tends to wilt when pressed into challenging games. In their next eight games, they have five matchups against teams currently with winning records: the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and Cowboys. The Falcons will not be favored in all of those games, but they should be battle-tested if they are able to etch out a postseason berth. .
Even though they are currently atop the NFC South, they will have to finish strong in order to hold onto the lead and play for a top seed in the conference. If the defense can generate more pressure while Cousins and the offense maintain a strong level of consistency, this could be a formidable team in this season’s playoffs.