Atlanta is where NFL offenses go to die.

[@Arcaten69]

I don't know if I represent the majority opinion for Falcons fans, but: I'm very disappointed that we spent almost all of last season on the Mariota experience instead of seeing what we had in Ridder. I'm rooting for Ridder but if things don't work out, I'm not looking forward to QB purgatory. It seems like Smith is good at getting the most out of his team, but last year felt very short-sighted. Unrelated but Pitts' catchable target % was sub-60 last year. Hopefully that ticks up a bit with Ridder too.

[@vegitosynsei]

Oh every Falcons fan agrees Mariota should've been benched a lot sooner i.e. after that game against Carolina on TNF. Ridder should've been named starting QB at that point imo.

[@lostnemesis]

And the thing is most KZbinrs agreed as well because they really should have just seen what they had so much earlier so that way they had a bigger sample size.

[@Smartriide]

We are in the beginning stages of QB purgatory, we had the 4 pick in the draft and took a TE and now it’s Marcus Mariota, Ridder, ????? , ????, ????. Get ready to experience what Miami , Cleveland, Buffalo and Detroit has to go through

[@MrAman0402]

I think what they did was correct and the opposite of short sighted. I agree that mariota frustrated me, but the coaching staff believed that ridder wasn't ready to start meaning they still thought mariota was better. Ridder had a rough start but progressively got better each game, signifying that he had been doing that throughout the season too. I'm also someone who thinks throwing out a rookie qb too soon can ruin their confidence which is super important in the NFL. Though they learn and adjust like Justin fields, Kenny picket, and Trevor Laurence; though these guys still started out really rough. Ultimately we ended up with a better draft pick and missed the playoffs that we would've gotten knocked out in the first round. That's why I think it was a good long term decision to make. Now ridder has a taste of the NFL pace, a full off season with 1st team reps, a supportive veteran qb, and is familiar with the system/team. Additionally if he doesn't work out, we're not hard committed to him and can move to a new qb next year, but I think he is put in the best position to succeed. So there will be no if ands or buts when it comes to his ceiling/potential, thus allowing us to confidently move on.

[@bigdeboatl23]

Mariotta should have absolutely been benched after that Carolina game.

[@ganspach6307]

One thing I think is missing from the scheme breakdowns (which I love seeing) is just a simple Run Pass split. I think that would provide just that extra bit of context for what each team is running

[@Scyon13]

Have you guys considered doing a projected starting lineup and key role player bit at the end? I think that would give us another visual of how good or bad the team will actually be.

[@mitchellapple9184]

In my mind I combine these breakdowns with “the franchise guy” team breakdowns. Marcus is the guys name. He does full roster breakdowns. They compliment each other very well.

[@imhotepnixon]

@@mitchellapple9184exactly Marcus Whitman is the 🐐

[@alvatrous]

I was wanting this at like a position group break down and how thru think they are gonna do

[@Scyon13]

@mitchellapple9184 can't say I'm a fan of that guy, I don't like a lot of the takes he has, and oftentimes just think he's flat out wrong

[@davidwilliams8440]

Answering the falcons fan question - I feel pretty good. I see it less about burning the ships and more about finally cutting out the rot. The first two years of Fontenot and Smith they were saddling with record high dead cap and cripplingly low talent levels, which is a bad mix. I think that’s part of the reason the offensive scheme looks quite as narrow as it is - we just asked an under-tooled roster to do one thing as well as they could and didn’t ask them to do much else. With the restocking of the squad that happened this offseason I’m fairly confident we will strongly contend for the division. I feel like we have scrubbed away at the team until all that’s left has promise/potential or is on a short term deal and now I’m expectant of strong strides forward. If we don’t see it, then Arthur smith isn’t the guy, but I think he is. I’m also in the camp that sees the draft as a crap shoot and the idea of burning it all down to have a shot at the first overall pick and tacking a player that is meant to be the messiah does not appeal at all. I like where we at and I think we might shock a few people this year.

[@MumRah]

If Arthur and Terry had their way we'd still be in "cap hell" and Watson wouldn't have even played 11 games plus we wouldn't have draft picks to waste on a RB and a tackle from Syracuse that we're going to try and plug in at guard.

[@DjSlay92]

Mariota had some egregious overthrows of Pitts. Ridder didn't get to play with Pitts, because Pitts was injured by that point. I'm excited to see the Ridder/Pitts connection this season.

[@mattcurrin493]

I don’t know what this title means but I’m excited to find out

[@stevenferguson6845]

Do you know what the title means because I'm still wondering

[@matthewbudz4733]

It means the defense is going to be really good lol

[@lostnemesis]

And now the title is different

[@PapaSquattt]

The title has changed 😂

[@PizzaHutCEO]

The title has changed and I STILL don’t get it 😂

[@jacksondavis8695]

Answering your question about where the fans are at, I’m excited not just for this year but for the future in general. If Ridder is pretty good or Bijan lives up to some of his comps, this team can go places soon. If Ridder isnt the guy, then this team becomes a premium qb destination.

[@davidwillis8623]

Not sure who would realistically be available next year from a free agent or trade standpoint

[@joshrodriguez4154]

A good qb hitting the market almost never happens.

[@tylerbarnes5953]

Falcon fan here. I actually like what I saw from Ridder. Very poised, and had a chemistry with London. What I like is 4 games no INTs with Ridder. I like Smith as a coach, think Matt Ryan’s contract put us behind a couple years. This is the first year I feel like the GM and Smith have “their” team! Excited for the season! Great vid!

[@C_Santiago7]

You can't single out Ryan. He was well worth it. But it was multiple contracts that entirely screwed us. On Ridder: I absolutely agree. He looked poised. He had/has leadership, intelligence, has good arm strength and is mobile. But he's pass first, run second, which is perfect.

[@harrishogan943]

Yes, I feel much better when my qb fumbles instead of throws a pick.

[@Michael_B82]

I would add , that the Falcons were the tops in the NFL in second half scoring meaning the Falcons were stingy in the second half giving up points , they were great in second half adjustments..

[@Smartriide]

7 wins

[@Michael_B82]

@@Smartriide troll

[@Smartriide]

@@Michael_B82 no I’m a realistic fan , this coach is over his head. No adjustments are made he’s literally running the same plays, outside zone read over 60% of the time, go do research.

[@Michael_B82]

@@Smartriide so you're not a troll , just have no idea what you're talking about , noted .

[@Smartriide]

@@Michael_B82 17 rushing touchdowns but were tops in the NFL in second half scoring, your delusional my friend

[@davidwilliams8440]

I swear at this point your own team’s episode feels like Christmas 🎉

[@adamrielh]

Love that Jim Irsay introduced “Quartile” into the football lexicon 😂

[@fernando_0921]

I’m feeling pretty good about this season and it’s the most excited I’ve felt about the team in a few years. Arthur Smith has gotten the most out of some truly awful rosters the last couple of years. Fontenot finally got some money to build a competent roster and I think they spent the money really well. I expect us to be competitive in this nfc south this season. By the end of the season hopefully we’ll know if ridder is the answer but, I like what we’ve seen from him so far. It’s a young team so I consider it a success if we’re competitive and showing some promising signs this season.

[@chamberlainquench2484]

Listening to these has been a pretty big spotlight of my day when they come out. Awesome stuff as always!

[@zacharymontgomery474]

So I'm a Falcons fan who has been closely following the team since Arthur Smith joined in 2021. I'm personally quite optimistic in the Falcon's chances to win the NFC South this year. I think we are gonna have a top 3 to 5 rushing offense between Bijan, Allgeier and Cordarelle Patterson. If Desmond Ridder and Drake London's chemistry continues to grow, we've got a solid floor for our passing offense with a tall ceiling if Kyle Pitts comes back healthy and as explosive as he was in his rookie year. Defensively, if Ryan Nielsen can give us a league average pass rush then we should have a middle of a pack pass defense which all we should need with the offense success. Arthur Smith has gotten two solid 7-10 seasons out of some of the rosters in the league the past two years, and he finally has the talent to get a full evaluation from him this year. But I am confident that he will prove himself, and he has the buy in of the locker room.

[@zacharymontgomery474]

Also, if you're asking me where the fantasy value is I'd probably go with Jonnu Smith and not Mack Hollins. I think they'll see similar snap amounts, but Jonnu will get featured more in the offense. (also I think Pitts a worth being drafted highly, I think there's a good chance he frequently lines up on the outside like he did as a rookie)

[@LuTheGOAT]

As an Eagles fan, i was always a fan of Mack Hollins. Idk if there is another channel that give him any love like you guys. Gets the dirty work done. Can make contested catches. Confidence was an issue and now he knows his role. Its amazing what defining role role can do for you

[@Day1Play]

I’m actually extremely happy with the vision Fontenot has had for these boys. I think it’s pretty clear what they are doing. Falcons are 2 things right now from a personnel perspective: 1) building an identity. Very good versatile athletes. Freak big WR, WRish freak TE, WRish freak RB, low risk big potential system mature QB. Jessie Bates as a defensive captain, an abundance of versatile front 7 guys that can stuff the run and create havoc up front. It’s clear with each passing draft pick that the identity is they want to build. I don’t think you can compare them to any other team, you have to imagine they’re paving their own path to an organizational vision. 2) they’re filling holes the best they can as fast as possible. Bergeron filled a massive hole. Bates gave defensive talent and leadership up top. Hollins gave us our WR2 (I think we’ll target a top flight WR2 in the 2024 Draft). Elliss/Onyemata/Campbell signings were adding front 7 depth that was desperately needed. They’re drafting guys like Harrison (projected talent), Phillips (slot corner), Ebiketie to be a great EDGE, Andersen to be a productive athletic LB to fill needs. The Falcons went from a talent devoid team with terrible contracts, to a team that I believe is pioneering a new vision for a franchise. They are doing everything I could POSSIBLY hope for as a fan. I expect an 8-10 win team to surpass expectations because not many can see the vision I’ve begun to realize with this team. I still have to watch the WRs in 2024 but after seeing the EDGE guys available, I could see them going Xavier Worthy-ish for a WR2 , or solidify the front 7. They obviously prefer versatile an offensive weapon that’s like a hybrid between 2 positions, and I don’t see that in this upper end of the draft. I feel like they’re going to be ready to round off their roster. I’m watching Kool-Aid, Maason Smith, Tuimoloau, Newton, and Trice as guys that could have a 2023 season that lands them squarely into the Falcons pick in 2024.

[@Saintsrule06]

That’s a great takeaway but I’m a saints fan and all I can see is bijian destroying us 20 different ways a game and a dramatic split with the falcons

[@t4d0W]

I mean on offense these guys are consistent in the way they can work with how Smith runs his offense (all the way back with the Titans). Though personnel is a tad different since Pitts is a freak who can lineup anywhere. London can do the same to a similar degree. They want to live with the run but not just be efficient with it but rip explosives through it. By exploiting their skilled guys in various mismatches with how defenses want to match their run game. If the defenses throw more LBs, Bijan is def gonna be lined up to buzz their way. If they want to throw safety bodies, Falcons can use their big receivers as blockers to run through them.

[@Day1Play]

@Saintsrule06 this is how I tried to help Falcons understand. The addition of Jalen Carter isn’t nearly as scary to an opposing team as Bijan in the Falcons offense. Also, him in the Eagles offense would’ve struck fear in me lol

[@ChrisTyroneDrip]

LFG! Rise Up Baby! Precciate y’all content fr watched every team but now it’s my team 🅰️🙏🏾

[@ChrisTyroneDrip]

For the record I’ll bet money with anybody that says we’re missing the playoffs.

[@Boomdude63]

As a Falcons fan, I am very excited to see what this season has in store. I think that this is a very important season in terms of determining whether we will become contenders or one of those teams that’s always kind of just OK, and keeps going 9-8 or 10-7. I think a lot of it will depend on Ridder. I’d also say that I’m probably the most optimistic out of any of my family of Falcons fans. In terms of Pitt’s as usage, I think we’re all pretty annoyed with his lack of usage as well, and hope/expect him to be better utilized the season.

[@lukehand263]

Been waiting all summer for this🔥

[@whatsthehype444]

Most hardcore game last year was bears at falcons. Shots taken left n right on fields and mariota

[@Snoil]

"I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum." Who knew Rowdy Roddy Piper would have one the greatest lines in movie history!? Also, given the theme, the best defense in NFL history was the 1977 Falcons, not the 1985 Bears. And the Falcons went 7-7. Jerry Glanville was not just a caricature; the man KNEW defense. Too bad he couldn't coach Jeff George, although maybe no one could lol

[@aegis3039]

Hey guys, its another Atlanta Falcons Fan here. I meme'd the Air Raid Atlanta during the live streams since it felt like we would take the best offensive weapon in the draft that wasn't a QB and then would neglect to use them to their fullest. At the end of the last season, I was incredibly skeptical of where exactly we were going to go. I wasn't high on any of the QBs from the Ridder/Pickett/Willis year and I do want to give him a fair shot, but I'm also painfully aware that we could end up in a situation where he falls short of the "Game Manager" this team needs to play complementary football. My opinions on this year are fairly straightforward, the remainder of the roster appears to be well constructed and QB friendly (strong run game, large targets with crazy catch radii, strong offensive line). If Ridder isn't' the guy, we should be the prime candidate for any Free Agent QB since I do not anticipate us to be near the Williams/Maye tier of rookie talent. I may be higher than most since I feel like we could very well be one of those "Quarterback away" teams. On paper, the defense *should* be better, but then again, we also lost Dean Pees and grabbed the DC from New Orleans so I don't know how this defense will look.

[@t4d0W]

You nailed it on the head on the 2nd part. Arthur Smith at worst with the collection of talents he has sorta mimic'd the Titans offensive roster at their best from years ago. If Ridder isn't the guy then they gotta comb the trade markets or what not for a guy who could be that 'Tannehill' then for Vrabel/Smith. So Smith is sorta on the clock for that despite his run offense really showing its teeth against teams who can't fight them off. Defensively I think a guy from Dennis Allen's defensive expertise should do well with the improved defensive cast.

[@C_Santiago7]

​@@t4d0WI wouldn't be scouring for a Tannehill type quarterback. He's average at best, and mainly a game manager with a big arm. I think Ridder will be better than Tannehill. We need someone, at the very least, in between Tannehill and Mahomes. So above average at the minimum. We need to be able to pass to keep up with the high flying offenses like the Chiefs or Bengals if need be. I think Ridder can and will be that guy. I believe he's going to "surprise" all the doubters, which seem to be the majority.

[@Jcindacut]

Terry & Arthur have done a wonderful job so far & we have even more cap space next season to add pieces. Ridder’s development is a huge piece to the puzzle

[@ChumblesMumbles]

The inability to get Pitts the ball was one of the more baffling things for the Falcons last year. I'm curious to see how much better their offense and defense can get this year - it won't get where it needs to be by roster alone though - they need to rethink some things on the coaching side as well.

[@monxz5929]

As a falcons fan, I would say that it is pretty important to realize that the FO is taking what was given to them and running along with it. At the end of the day the NFL is a business, and winning enough to get into playoffs is good for business. Sadly, I have to agree that we probably won't get into that SB tier in the NFC (Eagles, 49ers) anytime soon but being in the Cowboys/Vikings "midtier" would not be terrible. It at least gives us fans something to be excited about. Atlanta has been starved of winning seasons, so if we end up over .500 I'd say I'm content with the direction. As far as Ridder: He's perfect for the role of being a QB that does just enough to win; just watch his college tape and you'll see exactly what that means.

[@vincentbernal635]

A question I have about the falcons is how different will Ryan Nielsen be in coaching defense compared to Dean Pees last year?

[@manuginobilishair5662]

More straight 4-3 instead of pees hybrid front

[@the-Albino-Rhino]

He's younger and better at motivating people

[@kierancostello2105]

tI'll take the fan question. I think most of the hardcore fans are relatively patient. These seasons are different than in 17-19, where the team looked loaded on paper and they were losing badly. They were in horrible cap situations the last two years and missing key pieces. Last year, they set the record for most dead cap money in a single season - obviously inflation of the numbers has something to do with that, but I think it was about 25% of their cap space dedicated to players simply not in the building. Arthur's done a really nice job considering he hasn't been playing with a full deck. In '21, they went 7-10 with the second worst point differential in the entire league. This year, they were a lot more competent but you just couldn't rely on the talent. Obviously, in a weak NFC South - I expect them to win it this year. Ridder is obviously a big question mark, but if their execution in the run game continues, I view them in a very San Francisco lens of nearly being "post QB." You can't fully be that in the NFL, but the margin for error is much easier when you're fielding a basketball team at WR and you're scheming guys open. The defense isn't starting total no namers this year. I expect a relative leap from Ebiketie as well. High floor, lowerish ceiling type team that I don't think anyone will want to play come January because of how annoying they'll be. I could see them winning a playoff game in the NFC if they don't have to play a healthy San Fran or Philly team.

[@Chadillac-xq7xk]

Hear me out: Yes, we will run the ball down teams throats. Yes it will work. But imagine teams all game, KNOWING were going to run, and we still pick up 5+ yards per carry. Now out of nowhere, we hit play action. With Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith on the field blocked by linebackers, Drake London on the fiekd who has proven he can cat a well placed ball, AND a not so well placed ball.(Same with Kyle Pitts) Now, for some reason nobody is open. Ridder can take off, or check down to Bijan Robinson, or Tyler Allgeier. Almost everybody on our team can line up in multiple positions whether its running, blocking, or recieving. Youll have no clue. If Bijan is in the slot, with Kyle Pitts, Allgeier in the backfield, London out wide, Bijan doing a fake Jet sweep, who are you guarding on this team? Weve entirely updated our defense. No matter how good you think they are, Calais Cambell, Bud Dupree, Jessie Bates III, Clark Phillips III, David Onumata is a FAR better defense than we saw last year. And dont forget we still have AJ Terrell, and Grady Jarrett. This offense isnt only a bully ball, run it down your throat offense. Its an offense built to completely confuse opposing defenses. Its the Muhammed Ali of offenses, you wear a defense out, and when youve got them real tired you hit them with the knockout hit. We run run run, play action. And keep you guessing the whole fight. I could be entirely wrong, but I just dont see how teams will actually defend this offense, and our defense is good enough to keep us ahead.

[@jeffredfern3744]

It's more of a Joe Frazier offense. OZ, OZ, OZ... left hook, left hook, left hook. It's not overly clever, but clever enough.

[@morganyu812]

​@@jeffredfern3744What's oz? Body shots?

[@morganyu812]

Very detailed breakdown. I love it

[@t4d0W]

The part where you said about 'everyone on that offense can play multiple positions', that will be the foundation of the weapons for this Falcons offense. They can work lining up wide or in classic condensed sets. Even better is all of them can work in pistol alignment which the Falcons spammed as much as the Seahawks did. With all those versatile players working the back field, it won't help bringing another LB or 2 to try match their numbers in the run game. Because Smith will have a short route weapons like Bijan who will be a mismatch to those linebackers working coverage. Few great running teams have taken to this approach to use their versatile backfield weapons to dictate the mismatches to defense that can't stop their run.

[@deelawton4]

Facts brother! They don’t even know 😂😂 Go Falcons

[@grittylions]

Gibbs and LaPorta and Branch each were in the first round talent bucket of 14 players so it's no surprise to hear their names. I have no doubt we would hear more about Captain Jack if not for how damn well Derrick Barnes is playing.

[@the-Albino-Rhino]

Wrong team, bud. But we'll see each other in the playoffs

[@GiftedGentleman87]

We Have Ryan Neilsen as Our D Coordinator... yes, THE RYAN NEILSEN FROM THE 5TH RANKED (S)AINTS DEFENSE. We had a "Bend But Don't Break" Defensive Mentality with Dean Pees because we didn't have enough talent. But now, we have a TON OF NEW VETERAN TALENT AT EVERY LEVEL & a STRONG COACHING STAFF. I hope we stay healthy cause I know we will make it to the playoffs. Falcons: 10-7 Falcons: #1 NFC SOUTH Falcons: Most Pro-Bowlers from the NFC SOUTH. Falcons: Rookie of the Year, Bijan Robinson

[@DannyC2002]

Got Pitts in my TE(2PPR), 1 TE, 2 w/r/t and qb/w/r/t flex league! Him and Hock gonna light it up for me. Good time to be a falcons fan

[@BossJay2113]

I think we are excited because we were able to have money to spend and we spent a majority of it on defense. Also excited to see what our new DC Nielsen can do with the new talent he comes in with a good reputation as a good defensive mind so if the defense can be better and catch up with the offense the sky is the limit

[@vincentbernal635]

This may be off topic but I want the falcons to return to their red jerseys of the Matt Ryan and Julio days. I know it is synonymous with 28-3, but they looked nice in those jerseys. The current all black jerseys are trash.

[@rjharrold2907]

I loved those jerseys too

[@baronwynter6536]

The Titans were successful with this style, WHY NOT US! POUNDING THAT ROCK BRUH! Also today he can't be the guy himself. We have to try to get to the up to those first two spots

[@lukehand263]

I get worried that the ceiling on this style of football is- able to win the division but never a true Super Bowl contender even if the quarterback problem is figured out. Up to this point though trusting the process is key and giving Des a shot is important.

[@t4d0W]

At this point ceilings shouldn't really be the talk because the Falcons are still in the middle of their rebuild. Wait for stability since the NFC South is in a sort of race to see who can seize that division for the next few years (and maybe get off the hot seat by virtue of that). The good part of Smith's offense (or the direction he is going with it) is there is headroom for changes when better personnel gets added.

[@lasobatta150]

Brett saying he will genuinely enjoy watching the Falcons.. I'm already excited enough about the season but does this possibly mean some in season video about them? 🤨

[@t.michaelstone1633]

Falcons fans had high hopes for Marcus Mariota last year and seriously wanted him to resurrect his career in Atlanta. Didn't really work. And the offense sputtered at times because of it in my opinion. The team was competitive enough and should have beaten the Rams, Saints, and the Bucs save the bogus roughing the passer call on Grady Jarrett against Tom Brady -- which would might have put the Falcons in the playoffs had it not been called. Not that they would have gone anywhere. But the team appears to have fixed the weaknesses in the secondary and the defensive line that made them so vulnerable last year. The big question is Desmond Ridder. I think most Falcons fans are choosing to believe in Ridder because Arthur Smith believes in him. I'm among their number. Shit. It's always been hard to be an optimistic Falcons fans (28-3). I'm looking forward to this season, though. I like the roster and I like the coaching staff. But I've been disappointed before.

[@timrorabaugh9874]

Don’t hang your hat on the idea that you have seen the Falcons offense based upon what you saw last year. You ain’t seen nothing yet.

[@bagels8862]

It's true! We have seen nothing 💀

[@mr.bitcoin1953]

As a Falcons fan, I'm very optimistic that we will win the division and at the very least, clinch a wildcard. 10 wins is a strong possibility in my book. With most of our losses within one score and many times less than 3 pts. last year under Mariota and with a lower tier defense, our record should be much improved with a better QB and new offensive and defensive additions. Strength of schedule will also help the Falcons this year, and as long as we're healthy, Ridder or Heineke, for that matter, should put us in playoff contention.

[@llAGreenll]

I think with Kyle pitts situation he will bounce back because he will have more receiving opportunities due to the addition of jonnu smith. His first year they had Hayden hurst and he could take over the tight end role allowing KP to move anywhere within the offense. Last season HH leaves to cincy and KP now had to take over full-time TE responsibilities and in Art’s offense it unfortunately limited KP potential. This year Jonnu takes over TE when KP moves around and KP dominates 🔥

[@C_Santiago7]

I think he'll bounce back because the Quarterback play is going to be leaps and bounds better. That was the main reason Pitts had a down year.

[@slinkyrb3337]

As a falcons fan, I believe we give ridder a shot. See if he succeeds. If he doesn’t, hope you get a top 15 pick and make a similar trade to what the panthers did

[@slinkyrb3337]

Also use Kyle Pitts like UGA uses Bowers: jet sweeps, option plays, etc

[@Happysour11]

So confusing, talking about KPs special rookie year as if it were ages ago and then saying they should trade for a 1st/2nd because of a mariota and injury year 2?

[@kiwi4kian]

After watching falcon football closely the last couple of years I would be really disappointed if we didn’t improve this year. Our roster is the best it’s been in a long time. The last couple of seasons it was really bleak and I feel like we’ve addressed a lot of spots this off season. The schedule is one of the easier I’ve seen from around the NFL. Considering almost every single game last season was a one score game I think with an easier schedule we can have our first winning season in a long time. We have continuity at a lot of important spots. CB1, O-line, WR1, TE1, QB1, and the offensive coaching staff. I’m also hopeful our new DC will do a good job. I don’t have any delusions this team is a Super Bowl winning team, but I think we are going to win the division, and not by being the team that sucked the least but by genuinely being a good competitive team.

[@bigdeboatl23]

Kinda weird that the Falcons were a run focused team last year, with a tougher schedule and won more games. But the one guy thinks they could only win 5 games as a floor.

[@arkang3l80]

Once this team gels together...watch out!

[@rjharrold2907]

I know you want to do AFC East last because they're the best but MAN its felt like forever waiting for my Giants one 😭 I'm gonna be thrilled when its here

[@rjharrold2907]

Just two more weeks

[@gts1929]

I want Pitts and London to be 1,000 yard receivers man. Smith better get them involved more this season

[@chrisedwards5447]

As a Falcons fan my mentality for this team is to finally have a winning record since 2017 along with a playoff appearance. If Desmond Ridder turns out to not be the guy then I expect them to probably do a hail mary and get "The Guy" like they were going to do with Deshaun Watson.

[@jamesnessing6941]

Being a fan I've gotten the feeling that the majority of the fan base is excited with the direction of the team. Terry and Smith have done a great job so far and it's really going to come down to quarterback play how the year goes. The roster is far and away improved from last year but it's really the first real year of rebuild it's the first time the team has had money since dimitroff left the team in a terrible cap place. We wont win the superbowl this year but I think if Terry and Arthur keep it up we could compete for the playoffs this year and be a real threat to go deep next year if ridder is a top 15 quarterback.

[@VB29_92]

It grinds my gears when folks act like ATL cant score points..was top half in PPG for the season with less talent ..keep sleeping

[@thecur3066]

I trust this regime. One thing I can say is that clearly they have a plan and are sticking to it. Every single game you see improvement. I think we are called “middle of the pack” because you need to see more of Ridder to fully understand his capabilities. He didn’t even have Kyle Pitts last year, now he has much more. I can’t wait for Ridder to silence the critics.

[@Michael_B82]

The floor is 8, my ceiling is 11 But 5 is just not realistic for this coaching staff .

[@riseuprxns]

Brett… You asked where we are at, and a Falcons fan and KZbinr shall deliver. This team has been completely knee, capped by salary constraints, going back to core signings like Fowler, Matt Ryan’s extension, and Julio Jones, mega deal. In spite of that, we have managed to win games. We probably should not have along the way. If we were going to tank for a quarter back, it should have been last year. Marcus Mariota was a bad quarterback, and we knew that he would not be the long-term answer. If you watched him play, you realize very rapidly that he is not able to successfully complete any pass deeper than 20 yards down the field with any consistency you would expect at the NFL level. While we have drafted relatively well, I feel like our emphasis on skilled positions has been ridiculous. Over the last three years, we have taken a tight end, wide receiver, and running back in the top 10. I would argue that we should have taken defensive cornerstones in at least two of those three years , based on guys that went after our pics who are now pro bowlers and borderline all pros. We are now ride or die with Desmond Ridder. I did not like taking him last year as I thought we should have taken someone like Nakobe Dean, who literally went one selection later. Now that we have him though, we are no longer in the position, we’re a top 10 quarterback selection is likely. If we truly wanted a quarterback, we would have been better off trying to trade up this year from pick eight to move into the top four somehow. I’m glad we did not do that, but I’m also sad that we missed out on Tyree Wilson, because the Raiders are actually competent now . We had a ton of money to spend, and we went out there and got as many big defensive line players that we could get. You talk a lot about AJ Terrell falling off this past year, but it’s really hard to consistently guard someone in the secondary when your past rush is completely ineffective. We have been bottom five in sacks for the last two years and have the worst overall Shack numbers over that time frame. There is a lot of buzz and excitement with the Nielsen coming in at defensive coordinator as he seems to be The factor that turned the Saints defense around since 2016. Arthur Smith has not been given a fair shot until this year. You are completely right in that this year is a clean slate with his style of team, put together to succeed or fail. I would say that if the Falcons finish below 500 this year, then he is likely out as the head coach. I think Teri Fontinot gets more leeway because of the talent that he has been able to bring in. He will get a chance to hire a different coach if Arthur Smith cannot deliver this year. The majority of Falcons fans understand that we have been in a God awful situation for the last three years with salary cap restraints due to bad contracts. Thankfully, we did manage to get some draft picks out of bad contracts, and it seems like we got out of them at the right time, given the poor production of our former stars at other teams. it really sucked to have 1/3 of salary cap tied up in players that no longer existed on our team last year, but we took the major hit so that we could be better this year. I think myself, and a lot of Falcons fans were genuinely surprised that we were as competitive as we were last year, and because of that, we have faith that the influx of talent in free agency, and the draft over the last few years can make the difference. I think we are going to win this division due to the soft schedule. I am ride or die with the team this year, and as I always say… Rise up.

[@riseuprxns]

Also, I have no idea why the hell we did not play Desmond Ritter after the Thursday night Carolina loss. Our schedule, while still not easy was as soft as it was going to be for the rest of the year after that, and it would’ve been a wonderful opportunity to explore his talent in a number of winnable home game atmospheres. Instead, we threw him to the damn dogs in New Orleans as his welcome to the NFL game. I don’t know if you have had the opportunity to go to New Orleans for a game, but it is loud. I mean never dropping below 110 dB loud. Those fans show up and show out. He was in probably the most hostile environment that he will ever start in in the NFL as his opener. We didn’t turn around and go to Baltimore for the coldest December in the last 30 years and play outside in frigid Atmosphere and rockhard ground. We come back and have the Cardinals and Buccaneers. Those were easier games and he did win them. In those four games, he did not turn the ball over at all. He did not have a touchdown through the air until the end of the year, but he showed flashes that Marcus Mariota never could. He will be a solid system quarterback, but he likely will never be a top 12 option at any point in his career. We can win if he is somewhere between 12 and 20 by the end of the season. If he’s worse than that, I’m not sure we will have as good a year as I am hoping.

[@matthewritt8836]

Was there no mention of dean peas leaving and bringing in neilsen

[@mcfarlandgeoffroy7212]

No opinions on the new DC?!!!! Like that’s a huuuuuge change in staff guys

[@ICEONEMUSIC]

The hand grenade pass wasn't working very well.

[@RyanONeal1995]

They’re going to have double digit win ❤️🖤❤️🖤

[@toddmullis8051]

I wonder why no one even mentions Cordarrelle Patterson anymore? I know he is old however he is never mentioned at all

[@joeschmo5782]

To answer the question about how as a Falcons fan I feel about being middle of the pack vs being able to scrap it all and start from the bottom, I'm fine with it depending on one thing. If Arthur Smith is not it, he needs to go far sooner than later. When you're a middle of the pack team, to me, that signals that you have pieces that are foundational and that can be built upon for quicker success. I think that's a big reason why Nick Sirriani took off in Philly. He wasn't coming in to bare cupboards. The Falcons have people like Lindstrom, Pitts, London, Bijan, Allgeier, Jarrett, Bates, Terrell, etc, that are all good to great players. The worry is, knowing how short the window to win is in the NFL when you have a good collection of talent, does Arthur Blank have the foresight to say that he can't allow it to go to waste by letting Arthur Smith continue on if he doesn't improve. A lot of fans are defending Smith because they simply look at talent and the record, and put together a correlation that he must be good. And that all he needs is additional talent to get a better record. But there's context. I think Smith can be a good HC from a CEO type role. But if things don't change, I can't kick him out the door fast enough as the head of the offense. You guys highlighted what I absolutely detested about this offense last year. Yes, outside zone was effective, and their run game did well. But there were times it didn't, and they were headstrong in still running outside zone. What happens next season if this gets keyed on? The pass game was atrocious despite any positive stats. And a lot of the fanbase have a case closed approach of blaming the QB. Mariota was not good, but the philosophy and play design was not good. It was as you laid out. Nothing but play action, deep shots down the field, if they didn't get it, oh well, run it some more. It was a minor miracle to see more than 3 receiving options out in the pass pattern. All the concepts were mostly vertical stretches, with few horizontal stretches, and almost never both creating triangle reads. As bad as Mariota was, none of this fits his skill set, and the few successes he had came on horizontal stretches, short to intermediate passing, that was super rare. And I agree about the usage of Pitts. Again, fans put it squarely on the QB just because they saw a few missed passes downfield to him. But you hit on the head discussing the dagger concept. Arthur Smith rarely ever built his play designs with concepts that made Pitts the primary read. And with Mariota, he still could've designed a pass game that had Pitts shred the short to intermediate area. Smith has this outdated philosophy that he wants to line up his best players everywhere, but never altering the play design to make them the primary read. The play remains the same, and the concept, the player is just lined up somewhere else for the sake of variety or running the route that isn't the number 1 read. The idea being we'll just spread the ball to everyone, no matter how capable they are. The best offenses in the league build their pass game on getting the ball to their best players BY DESIGN. Unless Arthur Smith has a drastic change in the way he approaches his offense, and isn't just looking for guys to just run what he likes, I think this team is in trouble. I wish he'd take a couple pages out of the book of Andy Reid or even his old boss OC Matt LaFleur, but I think he's stuck in the vanilla Gary Kubiak mindset moving forward.

[@justinlaudano5970]

As a long time Falcons fan I agree. Great analysis!

[@bendelatore451]

I’m confident we will be better than the saints but I worry about the panthers. I love watching the run game but I always turn my attention to chores or cooking or literally anything when the defense is on the field. I believe in the coach and GM too. They’re doing the best they can.

[@the-Albino-Rhino]

I don't. That WR room will be the worst in the league now, that o-line overachieved, they only have one good pass rusher and one great CB. Throw in their loss of next years top 2 picks and I see a laughingstock next season. Bears are gonna have fun with an extra two top 40 picks.

[@Gagan_S]

Where do they get their schematic percentage data from?

[@sohail5646]

I need to see pitts in that mahomes andy reid offense if it doesnt work out in Atl.

[@ryanadonis]

a lot of smart ass remarks for a guy wearing a Texans hoodie

[@-GloryGloryToOlGeorgia]

Like our own offense our other teams offenses?

[@DWill2022]

Am I have the link to the Kyle Pitts video breakdown please

[@jpscharged]

The team is built similar to the 2016 team minus julio and ryan, but the run blocking and the running backs are better. Defensily this team has the depth, skill and experience to be consistently better than 2016's defense. QB play will not be MVP Matt Ryan level but turnovers will be less.

[@felixlara2945]

The falcons are about to make the 1930s look pass heavy

[@dreallday7236]

FINALLY THE NFC SOUTHH

[@nateolmstead2940]

I think their ceiling is a little higher than 9. Should be at least 10

[@arkang3l80]

McNary pass blocking wasn't the best thats why he didn't get paid like that

[@falcongold2024]

imo if Ridder is elite or even great with the schedule the Falcons have they will blaze & cruise into the playoffs. & the key factor will be how strong can the team execute in the playoffs which will determine how far they go. No one wants to face a team in the playoffs when you can't stop the run & I think the falcons can run on anybody

[@frostplays1177]

Just so y’all know Arthur Smith calls 100% of the plays

[@jermaineogden4734]

Just like the Tennessee titans did when they kept being the number 1 seed in the afc

[@mikes.3574]

...I was in the who tf is Mack Hollins camp. Do I trust Desmond Ridder? No, but I do trust Taylor Heinicke. Shout out to ODU.

[@Mafi_Turner-Diaz]

@Brettkollman I feel that we've been competitive. I want to see how the defense responses in the pass defense have been horrible for 5 years. I want a winner in the middle of the pack, which is not where any fan wants to be. We want consistency year in and year out when Dan Quinn he peaked so high in his first 4 years. We got spoiled but we want culture change we got it we use to be one of the worst run teams so to summarize I think Arthur seems to be attacking our previous weakness well but it's so slow getting the oline was first second run game 3rd idk hopefully everyone can come along together.

[@chard2534]

I don’t blame you for not watching every minute of every Atlanta game if you’re not a fan, but only looking at highlights and stats will not give you a full picture of this team. You probably wouldn’t see the 3 games they lost in the last few minutes by fluke fumbles, not to mention a BS roughing the passer call in Tampa. You probably wouldn’t know that the point differential is misleading due to losing to Cincy 35-17 with 4 DBs injured. You probably wouldn’t think about the over 60 mill in dead money. Not sure who else could be in every game with the lack of talent they had last year with that dead cap money. You probably wouldn’t watch every coach interview or press conference seeing his humor, character, intelligence, reverence for the history of NFL and being a student of the game. Instead of getting a cushy job with his dad, he worked his way up through every position coach to become a head coach. I think he has the potential of being the next Bill Belichick. He even rocks the sleeveless hoodies. Lol. I believe that e can create success similar to the Titans. Can he get over the hump that the Titans couldn’t? I hope so. Will Ridder develop into a serviceable QB1? I hope so. Can smash mouth football work in 2023? We’ll see. I hope after this year others will see exactly what’s brewing down here in the ATL! I appreciate all your hard work and research in to my fav team! Keep up the good work.

[@robnewsome2407]

Im looking forward to watching my lions play the Falcons aand a Robinson/Gibbs showdown. I was really high on Robinsoon and hopedy Lions would get him , Gibbs was my second choice but after the pick it made a lot more sense, we already had Montgomery plus we got the 34th pick dropping to 12, passong on Robinson and icking up Gibbs. Plus, we picked up Laporta TE with that 34th. Hell yes, ill take Gibbs and Laporta over Bjan Robinson. Hood luck to them getting to Goff woth our offensive line and we just jave to slow Bjan down. Good luck to them stopping Amon Ra, Gibbs, and Laporta in the slot and the edges. Once these mew guys get in the groove ots going to be unstoppable

[@deelawton4]

Good luck stopping Bijan Robinson, your defense will be embarrassed 😊

[@robnewsome2407]

@@deelawton4 I won't deny, Bjan is good but I'm not to worried about him. If you all had a descent QB it might be something to worry about, I don't see you outscoring us. It should be a fun game though

[@deelawton4]

@@robnewsome2407 Definitely will be fun. Good luck to your Lions 🤝

[@owenh4]

LETS FUCKING GO!!! ARTHUR SMITH COACH OF THE YEAR

[@bradleyknight6569]

we shouls have traded kyle pitts cause arthur is not going to do anything with him

[@Jaytherealest909]

The highest targeted te in regards to % of passes thrown in offense was pitts. The problem was the passes thrown his way we’re on target. Bring us back to Mariota a lot of what went wrong falls on him

[@ainsleyaaris]

I agree somewhat with the Pitts assessment Mariota had the worst throw pct though not just on Kyle... Falcons will win 11-13 games this season.... We have ballers Defense will be dogs #RiseUp Ridder will be just fine we are not trading Pitts

[@DerekS75]

Im ready to be hurt again

[@samuelhow2347]

Commenting is good for the algorithm

[@HoopsHuddles]

Can we stop pretending like Kyle Pitts wasn't getting targeted in Atlanta? He was the most targeted player on the team until his injury, but Mariota just couldn't make throws.

[@wilbertbarrett433]

Lifelong Falcons fan

[@nathanwoolley421]

I'm super happy McGary is evolving as a player, dude grew up in the same area of Washington I did, I even saw some of his high-school games when he was a freshman at Battleground. Crazy stuff.

[@thekrustychub5038]

No way they were saying Mack Hollins was a hidden gem for ff with a straight face. Dude has one game over 20 points and a best finish of WR43 for his 7 year career 😂.

[@natekunnen7021]

YOLO Bra

[@thekrustychub5038]

@natekunnen7021 dude legit has maybe 3 games over the last 7 years where he would end up on your starting lineup in best ball. And now he's target option number 3/4 on the worst passing offense of the last 10 years 😂

[@gardenbox2577]

Falcons will win 10 games

[@maddy4heisman]

28-3

[@adrianvega5133]

Excited for you guys to talk saints football

[@deelawton4]

F the Aints!

[@JoycenatorGaming]

2:55 in 2011 the AFC West had 3 teams go 8-8 and one go 7-9. Bit of an obscure piece of trivia but feels more relevant-ish since y’all just finished up covering that division 🙂 (also probably the weirdest single season for a division in the history of the sport)

[@ParamoreFAV3]

That title is extremely disrespectful. But every problem will be corrected. If you can’t see that strictly based on the personnel we’ve picked up, that’s just ignorance.

[@GatorShawn]

I see red when people keep talking about Ridder like we found him in a dumpster out back. He was a lot of people's QB1 on the board last year in what was an admittedly weak QB class, but some people had a first round grade on him. He did nothing to suggest he isn't capable in his brief 4-game appearance. On the other hand Brock Purdy was essentially a UDFA and no one seems to think it's going to hold SF back from being a top of the power rankings team. That's because both SF has an offensive mastermind at HC. Well, what do we have, Chopped Liver? To me, the biggest revelation that will come from this season is that Arthur Smith is an elite offensive coach.

[@madtomk3318]

To play some devil's advocate on the Kyle Pitts situation, some of the blame also has to go to execution. He had the second highest target share on the team and there were something like 14-15 deep balls where Pitts WAS the target and Mariota only hit 2 of them. And most of those misses were nowhere near him

[@jeffredfern3744]

Imagine drafting a player in the top 5 and then being like, "yeah, we'll use him once or twice a game."

[@joeschmo5782]

The ultimate question though is, if your QB can't get completions deep downfield, why is the pass game designed for him to attack it that way? Mariota isn't without fault, but he was fine in the short to intermediate area, and there's no doubt Pitts can operate there. But as they showed in the stats and the film shows, Arthur Smith pretty much wants to chuck it downfield for his pass game over and over again, knowing his QB can't do it. It's on Smith to adjust and get Pitts the ball a different way. He's the biggest blame to me. He needed to adjust to his players, not the other way around.

[@timrorabaugh9874]

The Falcons were hampered by the play of Marcos Mariota. Ridder is a serious threat to the NFC. Ridder will lead the Falcons to a NFC South title & a by week in the playoffs.

[@jondunmyer6125]

Aj terrell did not have a bad year literally just a few bad plays smh

[@emperorscoop7416]

I think Ridder will surprise the world!

[@DrGanja99]

Guarantee we average 25 a game

[@jakethornton4856]

I guess I am one of the few people who think the Falcons drafting Bijan was a bad idea. I am a UT fan and I don't think Bijan is as great as people act like he is because he isnt in the same league as Adrian Peterson or even Ezekial Elliot is a prospect(even tho I think he will last longer than Elliot because of play style). I know people like his receiving ability but its easy to find a wr or back who can catch the ball as well because receiving backs arent what moves the needle in the NFL because almost all of the great backs right now are bigger guys like Chubb, Henry, or Jacobs. Also the point I have been trying to make is Bijan made a lot of linebackers and safties who are gonna be selling insurance next year miss tackles in college and he won't be able to make as many guys miss like that in the NFL.

[@deelawton4]

Yeah right hater 😂

[@Falcondawg1022]

The Pitts stuff not mentioning Mariotas play. Falcons have a hard schedule? Eagles would have taken bijan? Lot of horrible takes on here