{"id":3834,"date":"2016-10-12T12:06:22","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T16:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=3834"},"modified":"2016-10-12T12:06:22","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T16:06:22","slug":"the-atlanta-falcons-are-the-real-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/10\/12\/the-atlanta-falcons-are-the-real-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Atlanta Falcons are the Real Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fresh off of their 23-16 win over the reigning Super Bowl<\/strong> champion Denver Broncos<\/strong>, the Atlanta Falcons<\/strong> are finally getting the respect they deserve.<\/p>\n

Atlanta (4-1) was\u00a0written off after their midseason collapse in 2015; they started last season off with a 5-0 record, but finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. Some critics continue to hang that over their heads, yet fail to realize\u00a0that this is a much different Falcons team in 2016.<\/p>\n

The Atlanta Falcons are the Real Deal<\/h2>\n

Through five weeks, the Falcons have the league’s best offense. Atlanta is first\u00a0in nearly every offensive category, including points per game and total yards, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Matt Ryan<\/a><\/strong> has a plethora of weapons at his disposal, featuring\u00a0the best running back tandem in the league and a receiving corps that frightens opposing defenses.<\/p>\n

An MVP Candidate<\/h3>\n

Ryan is an early front-runner to win the league MVP<\/strong> award. He leads\u00a0the NFL<\/strong>\u00a0in passing yards (1,740) and is first in every other area\u00a0except touchdown passes, where he ranks second with 12.\u00a0Completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, he’s averaging over 10 yards per attempt and has been picked off just twice. All of these factors have helped him pick apart anyone and everyone that he has gone up against in 2016. The Ryan of old is back and better than ever.<\/p>\n

A Multi-talented Running Back Rotation<\/h3>\n

Devonta Freeman<\/a><\/strong> and Tevin Coleman<\/a><\/strong> have been nearly unstoppable through five games. Freeman, who was the Falcons’ feature back for much of 2015, now has a sidekick in Coleman that compliments him to a tee.\u00a0Both can tote the ball extremely well, but what sets them apart from most other running backs is their outstanding ability to catch the football. Not only are they catching passes out of the backfield, but they’re lining up outside as receivers and dominating their matchups.<\/p>\n

Coleman has 313 yards receiving in five outings, which is more than Steve Smith<\/a><\/strong>, Kelvin Benjamin<\/a><\/strong>, DeAndre Hopkins<\/a><\/strong> and DeSean Jackson<\/strong><\/a>. Freeman is ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing yards through five contests\u00a0with 410, and has 117 yards receiving. Combined, Freeman and Coleman have exactly 1,000 yards of total offense and are only going to get better as the season progresses.<\/p>\n

A True Difference-Maker<\/h3>\n

Julio Jones<\/a><\/strong> has the third-most receiving yards in the NFL with 517, due in large part to his 300-yard extravaganza against the Carolina Panthers<\/strong> in Week Four. Other than that game, Jones has mainly been held in check, but it’s not because of\u00a0a\u00a0lack of effort. With Ryan having so many other options, he hasn’t had to rely on Jones like he did a season ago.\u00a0Just having Jones on the field frees up players like Mohamed Sanu<\/a><\/strong>, Jacob Tamme<\/a><\/strong>, Austin Hooper<\/a><\/strong> and Aldrick Robinson<\/a><\/strong> to make plays. As soon as the defense lets up on Jones, good things happen.<\/p>\n

There really is no stopping this Falcons offense. It’s too deep and too balanced to key in on any one thing. One week, they’ll gash a team\u00a0in the ground game. The next, Ryan will burn\u00a0a secondary\u00a0for 500 yards. The talented Panthers defense couldn’t stop it, and the vaunted Broncos defense couldn’t stop it, either.<\/p>\n

A Better-than-Advertised Defense<\/h3>\n

On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons haven’t been terrific, but they’ve improved week after week. Atlanta’s dreadful pass rush has started to come alive after posting six sacks against the Broncos, and their ability to start fast has helped them\u00a0as the game goes along. Although they place near the bottom in yards allowed, much\u00a0of those yards have come at the end of games when they’ve played prevent defense to help run out the clock.<\/p>\n

This is also a defense that isn’t at full strength. The Falcons are currently without their three opening-day starters at linebacker. Sean Weatherspoon<\/strong><\/a> is out for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon in Week Four, and rookies De’Vondre Campbell<\/strong><\/a> and Deion Jones<\/a><\/strong> are both out with separate injuries. Despite the nagging health issues, this is a unit that will ameliorate\u00a0as the campaign presses on.<\/p>\n

It’s only the middle of October, but the Atlanta Falcons\u00a0have been one of the league’s most surprising clubs in 2016. Notwithstanding their defensive woes, they have managed to pile up early victories. Them being the best team in football is debatable, but they are\u00a0definitely legit.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n