{"id":134804,"date":"2022-08-21T12:41:36","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T16:41:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=134804"},"modified":"2022-08-21T12:41:36","modified_gmt":"2022-08-21T16:41:36","slug":"atlanta-falcons-optimsits-guide-in-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/08\/21\/atlanta-falcons-optimsits-guide-in-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"An Optimists Guide for the 2022 Atlanta Falcons"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are two sides to every NFL fanbase when their team is rebuilding its roster. On one side, some know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That hope allows them to celebrate the small victories as their team builds towards the future. On the other, some fans can\u2019t escape the darkness that the tunnel emits. It takes away from the view of the vision as they are tired of waiting to get to the light. Finding yourself on either side of the fence is easy when you are a fan of the <\/span>Atlanta Falcons<\/span><\/a>. The first full year of the rebuild (one can call it that, last year was an evaluation year), and there is no telling what is in store for this team. So, to be fair, both sides deserve to be addressed. We will start with the optimists’ viewpoint on this year\u2019s Atlanta Falcons.<\/span><\/p>\n

An Optimists Guide for the 2022 Atlanta Falcons<\/h2>\n

More Playmakers on Offense<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Last season, on \u201cHard Knocks In Season,\u201d Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Frank Reich<\/a> said something profound while game-planning. He stated how when his wife and kids asked \u201cwho to root for\u201d for that week that he couldn\u2019t tell them. He told them to just \u201croot for the Colts.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Last season, Head Coach Arthur Smith<\/a> had no problem telling people who to root for from week to week. It was either going to be a Cordarrelle Patterson-led game or a Kyle Pitts-led game. With Calvin Ridley\u2019s <\/span>absence<\/span><\/a> early on in the season, the offense was a two-horse race throughout the season. Not much for an Atlanta Falcons optimist to be excited about. Their 2192 yards accounted for 40% of the total offense’s yards from scrimmage.<\/span><\/p>\n

This off-season, the Atlanta Falcons have revamped their offenisve personnel. The pass-catchers have a new featured wide receiver in Drake London<\/a>, who gave us a teaser of what he brings to the position against the Detroit Lions<\/a>. The backfield gains a potential bell-cow back in fifth-round rookie Tyler Allgeier and a do-it-all guy in former Super Bowl LIV <\/a><\/span>standout<\/span><\/a> Damien Williams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/BaldyNFL\/status\/1558490591217983488<\/p>\n

The offensive line remains virtually intact from their subpar performance last season, but it does add another year of continuity. One of the main changes has been the usurping of the left guard position from Jalen Mayfield to the sixth-year veteran Elijah Wilkinson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, there is the quarterback position. Atlanta has found two quarterbacks, technically three with offensive weapon Feleipe Franks, that add an element to the offense that was not present with Matt Ryan: The ability to run the football. Seeing Desmond Ridder<\/a> and Marcus Mariota line up in the pistol and scramble outside of the pocket has to be an exciting sight for Falcons fans. Arthur Smith\u2019s playbook opens up exponentially with the extra weaponry of a mobile quarterback.<\/span><\/p>\n

Building an Identity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Arthur Smith speaks on competitiveness and how he found guys with a \u201cchip on their shoulder\u201d coming into camp. The NFL world saw the teary-eyed draft experience for the third-round draft pick, Desmond Ridder, that is the kind of heart and emotion that this team needs going into the future. Is he the future? Maybe, but his late-game heroics have to leave even the most pessimistic fan optimistic about the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/falcfans\/status\/1560665920200228869<\/p>\n

Outside of sappy beginnings, plenty of veterans are coming into this season on one-year \u201cprove it\u201d deals, further stoking the competitive fires this pre-season. These players all have a chance to make a name for themselves for the Atlanta Falcons as their cap situation frees up next season or another team that may want to scoop them up next off-season. From Lorenzo Carter and Damiere Byrd to Anthony Rush and Anthony Firkser.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Smith preaches on competitive nature, in the front office, Terry Fontenot brought a mixture of size and physicality throughout the roster. The receiver room brought in 6\u20195\u201d Auden Tate and 6\u20193\u201d Bryan Edwards to complement 6\u20194\u201d Drake London on the outside. Middle linebacker Rashaan Evans comes in, seemingly, as a one-year mentor for second-round pick Troy Andersen so that he may be the inside linebacker of the future for Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees<\/a>‘ unit. Evans showed off his physicality as he staved off blocks against the Lions in week one of the pre-season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

"We've been in the top 10 one time out of the last 20 years. That bulls*** over….I'm tired of this crap, we're gonna change the culture of this defense around this frickin' place."<\/p>\n

Take a listen to #Falcons<\/a> defensive coordinator Dean Pees post practice today. Wow pic.twitter.com\/4BmOTZZm2C<\/a><\/p>\n

— Miles Garrett (@MilesGarrettTV) July 30, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n