Mark Bradley: At 2-2, the Falcons' glass is more than half-full

Mark Bradley, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sep 30, 2024

Published in Football

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ATLANTA — The Falcons need not – and will not – apologize. After the Week 1 fizzle against Pittsburgh, 0-4 seemed more likely than 2-2. But here they sit, having endured four games over various days and times and networks, all decided by one-score margins. Here they sit, and they’re in decent company.

Other 2-2 NFC teams: San Francisco, Green Bay, Dallas, Philadelphia, New Orleans. (The latter two have the Falcons to blame for not being 3-1.)

Maybe you think the Falcons are lucky to have won twice. Or maybe you think they were unlucky to have lost twice. Both things can, and possibly are, true. Maybe, probably, they’re where they should be.

They have a new coach, a new quarterback, a new offense/coordinator. None of their first four opponents had losing seasons last year; none has a losing record today. The second half of their schedule – we remind you that it was rated the NFL’s softest – should be more pliant than the first.

Are the Falcons as good as they can be? They hope not. They’re 20th in yards per game, and it’s an evenly distributed mediocrity – 20th in rushing, 18th in passing. Another reminder: This team has invested massively, both in draft capital and cash money, in its offense.

None of these luminaries has hit a rolling start. Kirk Cousins ranks 21st in passer rating. Bijan Robinson is 18th in rushing yards per game. The Falcons’ leading receiver – Darnell Mooney – is 22nd in YPG. (Then again, Younghoe Koo ain’t missed nothin’. He’s unbelievable.)

About here, you might be thinking: You’ve just given us reasons to doubt the Falcons. Over time, stats become more than stats; they become performance itself. We haven’t yet arrived at that time. The Falcons have worked but 23.5% of their season.

It has become clear that Cousins, coming off a torn Achilles tendon, isn’t quite himself. He has led two game-winning drives, and the one in Philly was nifty. The one against the Saints involved less – four passes, one completion, that for 5 yards. (The needed chunk came via pass interference.) The Falcons have been outgained three times in four. They’ve mustered five offensive touchdowns in four games.

This, however, is why teams employ defenders and special teamers. As much as we glorify quarterbacks and receivers, it’s not always about offense. The Falcons’ defense and special teams just scored touchdowns on a day when the offense did not. It’s called complementary football, I do believe.

So now you’re saying, “What happens when this offense has to score touchdowns?” The guess is that it will. In hindsight, it was too much to expect such high-profile gears to mesh in the season’s first month. To their credit, the Falcons have played themselves into contention without playing at, or even near, capacity.

If December arrives and the Falcons are still 20th in total offense, we’ll be justified in saying, “This isn’t working.” December, though, is a distant light. Another playoff team from 2023 – Tampa Bay, which is again leading the NFC South – is set to arrive at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Five games in, these Falcons are about to play their third prime-time game, all on different nights and networks.

Thursday will mark the Falcons’ fourth game in 18 days. Then they get nine days to prep for Carolina. (OK, so eight more than necessary.) From here through Christmas, they’ll play only on Sundays, only in the afternoon. To NFL teams, that’s a big deal. NFL teams love their regimen.

Win Thursday and the Falcons would be 3-2 with a difficult start behind them. They’re figuring things out as they go. Figuring gets easier when the W’s outnumber the L’s.

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