The Falcons have missed the playoffs every other year since the team drafted Michael Vick in 2001. Vick is looking for another successful even numbered year, but Atlanta will always struggle with consistency as long as he is the starting quarterback. Matt Schaub is not a playmaker like Vick, but #7 is anything but consistent and the Falcons never know what they are going to get. The Falcons should be better this year, but it is hard to know if they can keep up with Carolina and Tampa Bay. It will largely depend on how Vick performs in the big games. He came up with two horrible performances in key road games at Carolina and Chicago last December when they were in a tight race for the division lead. He threw two interceptions in each game with no touchdowns and completed less than 50% (48.6% and 40.6%) of his passes, finishing with passer ratings of 39.1 and 25.8, respectively. The Falcons benefited in 2002 and 2004 from easier schedules due to sub-par finishes in 2001 and 2003, which might help again after finishing third in the division in 2005.
Some of Vick's struggles can be blamed on Atlanta not having a true #1 receiver, but it has not been because of a lack of looking. The Falcons thought the solution was Peerless Price, but it seems his success in Buffalo was due to Eric Moulds drawing double-coverage. The projected starters this season are 2005 first-round pick Roddy White and 2004 first-rounder Michael Jenkins. Vick and White have been working together all offseason and people expect a big year from him. If not, the blame might need to fall on Vick who only seems to be able to complete passes to Alge Crumpler. In Schaub's only start last season he was 18 of 34 for 298 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions while filling in for an injured Vick. He led two fourth quarter touchdown drives and completed a 2-point conversion to tie the Patriots with 3:52 to go (after trailing 28-13 through three quarters). The defense allowed Brady to march down the field and Vinatieri kicked a game-winner with 17 seconds on the clock, but Schaub's performance showed what he might be capable of if given a chance.
Only New Orleans and St. Louis allowed more rushing yards in the NFC last year, but Atlanta hopes some new faces will correct that. MLB Ed Hartwell will be back from injury. They traded for FS Chris Crocker (Cleveland) and signed SS Lawyer Milloy (Buffalo) in free agency, so they should be much stronger up the middle in theory. However, no one in the NFL besides Houston was worse against the run in 2005 than Cleveland and Buffalo. The addition of Jon Abraham (New York Jets) will help the pass-rush. However, the 258-pound Abraham joins a defensive line with no starters over 300 pounds, making it difficult to stop the run at the line of scrimmage. LB Keith Brooking is a tackling machine, but he is not a run-stuffer. The secondary should be solid with the new safeties and CB DeAngelo Hall. Jimmy Williams (Virginia Tech) was a steal in the second-round and might have been the most physically gifted corner-back in this year's draft class. If he does not have any behavior problems, he will benefit from having fellow Virginia Tech alum DeAngelo Hall as a mentor and should be a quality starter in the near future.
The running back situation is excellent with Warrick Dunn, T.J. Duckett, and third-round pick Jerious Norwood (Mississippi State). The offensive line took a shot when LT Kevin Shaffer signed a 7-year, $36 million contract with the Browns. The Saints basically gave away 35-year-old LT Wayne Gandy when they traded him to Atlanta for S Bryan Scott and a late-round 2007 draft pick. If Gandy could still play, they would not have traded him to a divisional rival. The only positive is that Michael Vick is left-handed, so Gandy will not be protecting his blindside. Atlanta has a chance to contend for a playoff spot, but it will depend on their ability to run effectively on offense and stop the run on defense. They will also need clutch performances from Vick in December if they are in the hunt. They play at Washington, at Tampa Bay, then Dallas and Carolina before closing at Philadelphia. Atlanta could be battling all of those teams for a playoff spot, and a repeat of last year's collapse down the stretch seems likely.
Key Additions: DE John Abraham (NYJ), FS Chris Crocker (CLE), SS Lawyer Milloy (BUF), CB Jimmy Williams (R), RB Jerious Norwood (R), OT Wayne Gandy (NO)
Key Losses: OT Kevin Shaffer (CLE)
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