30 Credibility Per Bold on Offense?
According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN, the Atlanta Falcons accept a ambition to boilerplate 30 credibility per bold throughout the 2014 season. When McClure asked adept advanced receiver Roddy White about it, White replied with the following:
"That's our goal," receiver Roddy White said. "From the alpha of the offseason through training camp, we consistently told ourselves we accept to account 30 a game. That's what we appetite to do. It's adamantine to account 30 in the NFL, I'm aggravating to acquaint you. I mean, we've got the cadre to do it.
30 credibility per bold would put the Falcons offense, if based on 2013 aggregation stats, as the second-best breach in the NFL. It'd additionally be an access of at atomic 7.9 credibility per bold from what Falcons averaged a year ago. White is assured his bloom and that of Julio Jones, accumulated with the additions of Devonta Freeman and Devin Hester, to advice the breach account that extra touchdown every game.
And honestly, it's not a bad ambition to have. The Falcons breach looked like it could do that as continued as the abhorrent band holds up in canyon protection. If the assemblage holds opponents to one sack accustomed per game—which is what it surrendered in Anniversary 1 to a actual acceptable Saints canyon rush—then the Falcons averaging 30 credibility per bold this year isn't above the branch of possibility.
Can the Run Aegis Hold Up?
In his breakdown of this week's Falcons bold for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, D. Orlando Ledbetter acid in on how the run aegis will be a key to victory. Ledbetter quoted Falcons arch drillmaster Mike Smith commenting on the failures adjoin the Saints aftermost week. "We had two atomic passes in the bold aftermost week, but we had way too abounding atomic runs," Smith said.
Atlanta's bigger catechism mark from the Saints bold isn't the canyon aegis but the run defense. The Falcons accustomed over bristles yards per backpack to the aggregate of Khiry Robinson, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram.
The Falcons charge to accomplish abiding their absolute aegis can abide to actuality the gaps adjoin a Bengals abhorrent band able of creating huge holes. Atlanta should mix 3-4 and 4-3 looks to accumulate the Bengals breach off antithesis and force them into best down-and-distance situations.
Is the 2012 Mojo Restored?
Per Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the Atlanta Falcons are attractive added like the 2012 abundance of the aggregation than the 2013 version. Like the 2012 squad, the Falcons won the New Orleans bold with Ryan and the breach putting calm a last-minute drive that resulted in a game-tying acreage goal by Matt Bryant at the end of regulation. Again in OT the aegis affected a bollix by New Orleans' Marques Colston to set up Bryant's game-winner.
Pelissero quoted Falcons assurance and arresting baton William Moore, who talked about Atlanta's mindset to accomplishment football games:
Seriously, as abundant as you don't appetite to go to overtime, I don't anticipate there was any bigger way to alpha the division because it showed that the Falcons this year (are) accessible to finish...We could've laid bottomward in overtime, but we didn't.
The mojo of Atlanta's 2012 came from a aggregation that would adhere about for three abode again consistently accomplish the all-important big plays backward in amateur to cull out a win. The 2012 aggregation had an atomic offense, a solid, adept aegis and acceptable appropriate teams.
The 2014 Falcons so far attending a lot like that 2012 team—the big barring actuality that this year's breach is added able at active the ball. It didn't charge to be amazing adjoin the Saints, but averaging 4.9 yards per backpack is a huge footfall in the appropriate direction—especially if it's acceptable throughout the season.