Analysts ‘need to see more’ before buying Atlanta Falcons

There has been a lot of talk surrounding the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. Some analysts like Atlanta’s approach. Some people despise him. Some are completely confused about their reasoning, others understand it perfectly. One thing remains constant throughout the speech: everyone needs to see more.

The Athletic’s Jacob Robinson and Dianna Russini ranked every NFL team based on their status as Super Bowl LIX contenders, and the Falcons ranked where you’d expect. Robinson and Russini ranked Atlanta 13th, where they should be: on the verge of being a top-ten team but not yet reaching that threshold. What was more interesting was not the number but the tier in which The Athletic’s R&R placed them.

Atlanta was one of five teams in Tier 3 of their rankings, labeled “Need to See More.” The other teams at this level were:

The quick blurb on the Falcons is that they and Chicago are looking to “improve over 7-10 seasons after adding their quarterbacks of the present (and/or future).”

It’s true. Atlanta was stuck at 7-10 for three straight years under former coach Arthur Smith until management finally said enough. The hope is that subtracting Smith and his seemingly archaic offense and adding new head coach Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake will be the boost this talent-filled roster has need. To top it off, they also signed the best quarterback in free agency and built the receiver room to better support a McVay/Shanahan-style offense.

But we still need to see more. Asking a team to come in and immediately freeze is a tough ask, no matter how talented the team is. There is continuity in certain places, the offensive line, the running back room, etc. But what does it look like when it all comes together?

Everyone just wants to see this play out, but there’s no doubt that the Falcons are one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL this season.