The Atlanta Falcons were minutes away from defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI to bring home the franchise’s very first Lombardi Trophy. They had it in the bag. But then, in what felt like the blink of an eye, the wheels came off and the Falcons were left in shattered pieces on the turf at NRG Stadium.
For the Patriots, it was a historic and legendary comeback. For the Falcons, it was an epic collapse that could potentially linger for many years.
So that begs the question: What do the Falcons need to do to overcome this historic collapse and get back to the Super Bowl? Here are five things the Falcons need to get back to where they were.
5. A short-term memory
The Atlanta Falcons are a well-built, well-coached and well-run franchise. That was evident during their playoff run and nearly three full quarters in Super Bowl LI. Needless to say, they’ll be in prime position to return to the big game with the addition of a few pieces, which we’ll address momentarily, and a short-term memory.
The historic Super Bowl LI collapse could have a lingering impact, but if Atlanta wants to rebound in 2017, they can’t allow it to fester. Instead, as much as it pains them, they’ll need to take a page from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. After winning the Super Bowl, Belichick lamented that the Pats were already five weeks behind other teams in terms of preparation.
The key will be looking ahead and not backwards, which is a message quarterback Matt Ryan delivered to Falcons fans earlier this week.
The Falcons will likely never get over their crushing loss, but the reality is, they can not let it define them. 2017 will be a new year and a new opportunity, which is something they’ll have to embrace.
4. Interior offensive line help
The Falcons are absolutely set at tackle with both Jake Matthews and Ryan Schraeder, but they could certainly use and upgrade or two in between them.
Chris Chester and Andy Levitre were adequate at guard, each earning Pro Football Focus grades in the mid-70s, but the same cannot be said for center Mike Person, who was graded out at 54.5. Additionally, despite the relatively solid grades for Chester and Levitre, they did struggle quite a bit in pass protection.
These issues were highlighted at times during Super Bowl LI with Matt Ryan being sacked on five separate occasions and quite a bit of pressure coming from the interior as his pocket collapsed. But even during the regular season, Levitre gave up 41 pressures, which was fourth-most in the NFL, and Chester gave up 34. Levitre also committed the second-most penalties by a guard in the entire league (9).
As great as Matt Ryan was, justifiably winning league MVP, you can imagine how much better he would have been without the constant pressure.
If Atlanta can shore up those issues and Steve Sarkisian’s addition fits well, watch out.
3. Marquand Manuel needs to stay true to Dan Quinn’s defensive philosophy
When Dan Quinn took over as Atlanta’s head coach after his stint with the Seattle Seahawks, he brought with him a similar scheme and philosophy to what was run in Seattle. By all accounts, it worked for Atlanta.
As the 2016 regular season progressed, the young Falcons defense got better and better on a weekly basis. They featured a solid pass rush and were strong in the secondary — an ideal combination for today’s NFL. And while there are still a few pieces needed, one of the larger issues facing them is a change at defensive coordinator.
After their crushing Super Bowl LI loss, the Falcons fired defensive coordinator Richard Smith and subsequently replaced him with Marquand Manuel, who had previously served as the team’s secondary coach/senior defensive assistant.
The good news is that Manuel has familiarity with the system, scheme and players, but like most coordinators, he’ll want to put his own fingerprint on things. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, it boils down to a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” scenario.
Quinn’s style of defense works, so both he and the Falcons will need Manuel to continue along those lines. But if Manuel opts to begin tinkering around too much, it very well could have a negative impact as players transition to a new coach, a new voice and an altered scheme.
2. A successful edge rusher
The Falcons made waves with a solid pass rush in 2016, which also showed up in the first half against New England in Super Bowl LI. Unfortunately, their lack of depth was evident and as players became exhausted, the pass rush fizzled out.
That’s not a knock on Vic Beasley, Dwight Freeney or anyone else on the Falcons roster, but a very real indictment of the sort of depth and balance today’s defenses require.
If the Falcons can add a talented edge rusher to go along with Beasley, who led the NFL in sacks this past season, it will help propel their constantly improving defense. It will also allow newly hired defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel a little more freedom with his game-planning.
Ideally, Atlanta’s defense would never again see the field for as long as they did in Super Bowl LI, but with an additional pair of fresh legs, it would help limit snaps counts and keep players fresh when they’re needed the most — in the fourth quarter.
1. A seamless transition for offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian
The Falcons offense was easily the best in football under former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, so there will be justified concern with his departure and the hire of Steve Sarkisian.
The biggest thing that made the Falcons so dangerous in 2016 was their high-powered offensive attack Now they face a potential change under Sarkisian, who considers himself an even more aggressive play caller than Shanahan.
“I’m an aggressive by nature play caller and that’s something Dan believes in,” Sarkisian said during his introductory conference call.
Whether Sarkisian is as aggressive as Shanahan or not, like Marquand Manuel on the defensive side of the ball, he will eventually want to put his own stamp on things. And how quickly Atlanta’s offense adjusts to that stamp will be important.
The last thing the Falcons want or need is an offensive overhaul, so as long as Sarkisian doesn’t get too far ahead of himself and at least emulates some of what Shanahan did, the Falcons should be in good shape.
