The Atlanta Falcons started the 2019 season with a miserable 1-7 record. After picking up two straight wins, they lost two in a row immediately following that. This meant their record fell to 3-9.
Atlanta found a rhythm then, though. They went on to win their last four games of the season. This pushed their record to a much more respectable 7-9.
It highlights a very serious problem for the Falcons, though. Atlanta has a lot of the right pieces in place but still needs something. They need whatever it is that can push them over that edge.
What they need are improvements. Improvements in certain areas.
Here are three improvements the Falcons must make to rejoin the elite in the NFC.
Offensive Line
It's hard to get anything going offensively when the defense is in the backfield half the time. For Atlanta, that's kind of what they were dealing with.
Just how bad was the offensive line? The Falcons gave up 50 sacks in 2019. Only four teams in the entire NFL gave up more. The Tennessee Titans were the only ones in that group to have a winning record.
Atlanta's offense has a few major stars. That includes quarterback Matt Ryan and someone many argue as the best wide receiver in football, Julio Jones.
They are rendered useless far too often due to the offensive line's struggles to protect Ryan.
If they want to get back to being one of the best teams in football, they need to make major changes in that area.
Running Back
The 0ffensive line isn't the only issue for the offense, though. They could really use some help at running back.
Devonta Freeman had an all-around good season. The 59 receptions for 410 yards and four touchdowns were nice.
However, he had 184 carries for just 656 yards and two touchdowns. That's 3.6 yards per carry.
Freeman was their obvious main option at running back. 3.6 yards per carry from your main option isn't acceptable.
You could argue that the extra help he added in the passing game makes a big difference. It still makes them one-dimensional though. You could take a ton of pressure off the passing game if the defense is worried about the run.
And if that's the case, just think of the numbers Jones would put up.
Pass Rushers
Atlanta has quite a few problems defensive. The one that would change things the most is their need for a pass rusher though.
Last season, the Falcons gave up a lot of points and a lot of yards. Unsurprisingly, they didn't really get to the quarterback either.
Atlanta had just 28 sacks last year. Only the Miami Dolphins had less.
Adding help in that area would make such a massive difference. Not just to the sack numbers, but to the secondary as well. When the quarterback doesn't have as much time to throw, he makes more mistakes. Those mistakes lead to the defensive backs looking better as well.
If the Falcons bring in someone to help the pass rush, it will make a serious impact on the entire team. It's that simple.
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