Atlanta Falcons believe they're entering 'special' season

[Hammock Parties]

A storm is coming, Mr. Pioli...

http://chronicle.augusta.com/sports/...JG6R-M.twitter

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Entering his eighth NFL season, Roddy White believes this Atlanta Falcons team is the best he’s seen.

“I think this is probably the most talented group we’ve had up to this point,” White said Monday. “We can all run. I think our team’s fast. I think we play fast. I think it can be special,”

When the Falcons visit Kansas City on Sunday, they will take the field with as many as nine returning starters on both offense and defense.

The undecided jobs are at right guard as Garrett Reynolds tries to hold off rookie Peter Konz, a second-round draft pick from Wisconsin, and at right cornerback as former South Carolina standout Dunta Robinson hopes to beat out Asante Samuel, the Falcons’ most talented veteran pickup in the off-season.

It seems that a franchise that’s gone 23-9 over the past two years has only a few holes to fill.

“On paper, we’ve got everything,” linebacker Mike Peterson. “You look on the offensive side. We’re loaded. Special teams, loaded. Defensive side of the ball, we’re loaded. The thing about is you don’t win games on paper.”

Atlanta’s struggles in the postseason have been well-documented. The Falcons haven’t won’t a playoff game since 2004 when Michael Vick was in his third season as starting quarterback and Jim Mora in his first season as coach.
Mike Smith, who is 43-21 in four years as head coach, is 0-3 in the playoffs, but his players are hardly thinking about January with the season opener six days away.

“Seeing the guys we have on this team and knowing the chances we have to go out and make it a special season is pretty exciting,” said center Todd McClure, a 14th-year NFL veteran. “That’s why you keep doing it year after year, trying to win the trophy at the end of the year.”

McClure, the longest-tenured Falcon since 1999, anchors an offensive line that added two new pieces in the draft: Konz and No. 3 tackle Lamar Holmes.
Smith plans to make no public announcements regarding right guard, right cornerback or punt returner before the Falcons face Kansas City.

“I don’t mean to be nontransparent,” Smith said, “but I don’t think it gives us any advantage to talk about who’s going to be playing what positions in the opening game.”

The decision between Robinson and Samuel isn’t as essential as the one on the offensive line.

First-year defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will likely use more schemes with three cornerbacks than those he deploys with three linebackers. Robinson moved inside during mini-camp to take the nickel job as the third cornerback, with Brent Grimes on the left side and Samuel on the right.

White loves what Nolan is planning for opposing offenses.

“I think we have to, at all times, be playing as fast as we can on offense because our D is going to do a lot of things to confuse people and they’re probably going to get a lot of turnovers and things like that,” White said.

“It’s going to give us an opportunity to have short fields, so we have to be efficient in the red zone. I think this year is going to be a whole lot different from previous years. I just feel like we’re more explosive on offense.”

[JoeyChuckles]

The title sounds like us last season.

[MMXcalibur]

42

Is that the over/under on the total points scored or the line in Atlanta's favor?

[Caseyguyrr]

Well they will probably get off to a really good start, i know that much

[SAUTO]

Are they riding a shorter bus now?
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[Al Bundy]

**** the Foulcants.

[MahiMike]

The Dirty Birds are quite Fowl.

[qabbaan]

They might be contenders. Beating the Chiefs won't prove much, though.

[Death2CasselFans]

Translation = We're going to beat teams into a bloody pulp

[stevenidol]

So to summarize... The Atlanta Falcons think they are going to be good this year. Complete fluff piece.

[Caseyguyrr]

Originally Posted by stevenidol

So to summarize... The Atlanta Falcons think they are going to be good this year. Complete fluff piece.

probably needed to fill the front page

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by stevenidol

So to summarize... The Atlanta Falcons think they are going to be good this year. Complete fluff piece.

The Falcons have won 43 games in four seasons under their current regime with their current QB.

They know they will be good.

The only question this year is how good.

Will they merely be a playoff team, or a Super Bowl contender?

We're standing on the tracks, and the train's coming through, hayseeds.

[Black Bob]

I was thinking they would lose to Baltimore in the Superbowl. I think they could have the best offense in the NFC. However, I am starting to re-think that because their o-line is terrible.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by BlackBob

I was thinking they would lose to Baltimore in the Superbowl. I think they could have the best offense in the NFC. However, I am starting to re-think that because their o-line is terrible.

not even close.

Saints
Lions
Packers
Panthers
Cowboys
Giants
Maybe Eagles

Will all have a better offense.
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[Ceej]

It's a shame Matt Ryan shits his panties in the playoffs.

Probably another one and done in the playoffs again this year.