NFL
By Monte Perez
The Falcons are rebuilding. Pre-season is all about execution and talent evaluation. Most of the time, the score does not matter to coaches. But there is something to be said about the Baltimore Ravens winning 22 straight pre-season games. It shows that the Ravens, top to bottom, are prepared and well coached. Young teams or teams that have new coaches want to develop a mindset and an attitude in pre-season. The Atlanta Falcons defeated the New York Jets, 24-16 to get their first win this season. There were a lot of good things to take away from this game.
Marcus Mariota led Atlanta to scores on their first two opening drives. The Falcons led 10-0, after the 1st quarter. Mariota said, “The Last couple of years were a good reset for me, but I’m excited about the opportunity and excited about this team?” The former Tennessee Titans quarterback had a beautiful 52-yard pass to Kyle Pitts and threw a 13-yard touchdown strike to Olamide Zaccheaus before leaving the game.
This team has a ton of positives going into the 2022 NFL season.
- Mariota has something to prove. After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2014, Mariota has had an up and down career. Most fans don’t realize he won a playoff game in Tennessee over Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-21.
- The size and speed of the Falcons’ wide receivers could be problems for defenses. 6’6 Kyle Pitts and 6’4 Drake London could be a nightmare matchup inside the Red Zone.
- Cordarrelle Patterson could have over 1200 all-purpose yards from scrimmage
- Lorenzo Carter will lead a revamped pass-rushing unit that boasts 2022 draft picks Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone.
- Elite cornerback A.J. Terrell will get the best running mate he’s had in his young career in veteran Casey Hayward Jr., who signed a two-year deal in March.
The biggest question for this team is their defensive line and offensive line. Pro Football Focus has both units ranked in their lower tiers. Atlanta is rebuilding but they have a lot of talented players. This roster is slowly getting better and adding depth and talent. It is going to take some time, but the Falcons are heading in the right direction. If their defensive line and the offensive line can be consistent, they could be the surprise team in the NFC.
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