Atlanta Falcons: 2021-2022 Season Preview

The Atlanta Falcons are coming into the 2021-2022 season with more questions than answers it seems, which has been par for the course with the franchise since their heartbreaking loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51.  

For the first time in ten years, the Falcons will be without their All-Pro receiver, Julio Jones, as he was traded to the Tennessee Titans earlier this year for a 2022 second-round and 2023 fourth-round draft pick. The Falcons also lost the reliable Alex Mack to the San Francisco 49ers in Free Agency.  

Not all is lost however for the Dirty Birds as Calvin Ridley is poised to fill those big shoes left by Julio Jones. Ridley has the numbers to back it up with 1300+ yard and 9 touchdown 2020 campaign.   

The Falcons also look forward to the addition of rookie tight end, Kyle Pitts. The Falcons selected the 6’6 Florida alum with the fourth pick in the draft. With the Gators, Pitts was unstoppable in coverage and did not drop a single pass throughout the 2020 season with Florida. Pitts is also quick for his size and possesses a great IQ.  

Atlanta also got some help in the backfield with the breakout RB, Mike Davis. Davis filled in for the injured Christian McCaffery in Carolina last season and put up some good numbers, 642 yards on 165 carries. Not bad, but the question looms if he can handle the load as the primary running back in an offense that sorely lacks in the rushing game.   

But the major question hanging over the Falcons is how much gas Matt Ryan has left in the tank. The 36-year-old is certainly not the MVP QB we saw in 2016 but he still is one of the best ten arms in the league. Ryan finished fifth in the league last year with 4581 yards but drops off when it comes to scoring with only 26 touchdowns.  

That has been the problem with Atlanta the past few years, using impressive weapons in their arsenal to put points on the board. In 2020, the Falcons finished 26th in red zone scoring and except for Kyle Pitts, they have not added to many pieces that will help improve that. Perhaps we will have some breakout prospects like receivers Russel Gage or Frank Darby but only time will tell.   

After finishing last in passing defense and having a lackluster pass rush, the new defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, has a lot of work to do. The talent is there for the Falcons with Grady Jarret, A.J. Terrell, Dante Fowler Jr. and Deion Jones but execution has always been the issue. Luckily, the squad is looking much improved this year and is poised for a much better outing with Dean Pees and Arthur Smith behind the stick.  

The NFC south is a little bit different this year as the New Orleans Saints will likely not be the consistent contenders of old. Tampa Bay is the clear favorite to win the division, but after the dominant Bucs it’s a tight race that the Falcons can fight for. Will they win the division? Probably not, but the Falcons are certainly one of the most interesting teams to watch this year, especially with a schedule that provides some thrilling matchups.  

The Falcons will kick off the season this Sunday at home against Philadelphia. The Falcons full schedule can be found below.