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The Atlanta Falcons have an intriguing offseason with plenty of questions to answer after missing the playoffs in the 2021 NFL campaign. Matt Ryan is most likely going to be their quarterback again in 2022, but that won’t really be enough to cover the holes and address the most pressing concerns of the team. With that said, here are three fixes the Falcons need to make in the offseason to make a leap back into the playoffs next season.
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3 major fixes the Falcons must make
3. Sort out the offensive line
The Falcons did not do an admirable job of protecting Matt Ryan in 2021. Atlanta’s pass protecting ranked just 20th in adjusted sack rate (7.0%) and also let its quarterbacks – well, mostly just Ryan – get pressured almost all the time, with the Falcons allowing pressure to come into the backfield in 28.0 percent of QB dropbacks – the worst mark overall.
Although Falcons head coach Arthur Smith did not particularly blame the offensive line for the team’s scoring woes, he acknowledged Atlanta’s issues in keeping drives alive.
Via Scott Bair:
“I think we're 31st in offensive plays run. That's a team issue,” Smith said. “There's everywhere you've got to get better. If you win two games and you finish fifth in passing, are you patting yourself on the back? No. Clearly, we're going to continue to improve, but it doesn't tell the whole story. There were times against really good defenses we ran the ball well. We need to do a better job sustaining drives, getting in the red zone, and scoring more points than the other team. It's pretty practical.”
The Falcons have the starting members of their 2021 offensive line still under contract in 2022, which means they could be in line for some tough decisions on who goes and who stays among that unit. Chris Lindstrom, Matt Hennessy, and Jake Matthews received the top three best grades from Pro Football Focus, while Jalen Mayfield and Kaleb McGary, who combined for 20 of that group’s total 26 allowed sacks, got the lowest PFF ratings. Plenty of time for the Falcons to iron out the wrinkles on their o-line.
2. Put the plugs on a leaky defense
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Atlanta’s defense was constantly run over by opponents in 2021. The Falcons finished 29th in the regular season in scoring defense with 27.0 points allowed per game and 25th in total defense with 364.4 total yards surrendered per contest. Opposing offensive coordinators looked like geniuses whenever they faced Atlanta this past season. What magnified that defensive incompetence was that Atlanta’s offense couldn’t cover for its stop unit’s shortcomings. Not that there were no bright spots on the team, as cornerback AJ Terrell impressed with three interceptions ab 16 passes defended.
However, he was mostly everything the Falcons had in the cornerback group doing that kind of damage. In fact, no other Falcons cornerback recorded an interception. Adding a quality cornerback to line up across Terrell will go a long way in improving Atlanta’s pass defense. But the absence of a potent pass rush was also to blame for the Falcons’ pathetic defense. Atlanta’s pass rush was last in the league in 2021 in terms of sack rate (3.03%). Combined with poor coverage downfield, Atlanta saw opponents complete 67.76 percent of their passes.
1. Reset the backup quarterback room
Ryan isn’t going to be throwing the ball for the Falcons forever. And if it was not clear enough that the good old days of the veteran are well behind him now, just take a look at the body of work he put up in 2021. Ryan shined during some portions of the season, but he’s no longer a long-term option for Atlanta, which ranked just 26th in the NFL in scoring offense with 18.4 points per game and just 218.4 passing yards per contest – 18th overall.
Nevertheless, he’s the best the Falcons have right now, and it’s not even close, with Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks showing virtually no promise, albeit in very limited time throwing the ball in 2021. Ryan will be 37 by the time Week 1 of the 2022 NFL regular season rolls around, so the risk of injury will be high. Having a solid backup will at least guarantee the Falcons a dependable asset who can take over the starting gig when needed and avoid spoiling the potential of the offense.
Speaking of Ryan….
An improvement on the offensive line will maximize the remaining juice in Ryan’s arm and help reduce the threat of injury, but it’s also a good time for Atlanta to start getting serious about thinking of how it will transition from the former NFL MVP to a new one. It doesn’t have to be in 2022 right away. But why not do it in the offseason? There’s also always the possibility of moving Ryan somewhere else, which won’t be popular among Falcons fans, but for the right return, it might be more beneficial in the long run for the franchise.
