The Atlanta Falcons were one of the best teams in the NFL only a few months ago.
Led by a stellar. unstoppable offense that featured weapons such as Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Devonta Freeman, the Falcons made it to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. And even though Kyle Shanahan – who is now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers – had the team clicking on all cylinders, some questionable calls changed the course of the game. And the Pats ended winning an all-time classic in OT.
Fast forward to October this year, and there is no question things have changed considerably in Atlanta. Unfortunately for the Falcons, everything has changed for the worst. The Falcons do not look like the offensive juggernaut they were last season. And there are several reasons to explain why Atlanta went from a contending team to one that doesn’t scare anyone in only a few months.
First of all, the departure of Shanahan has been key. The former OC hasn’t had a very good season with the 49ers, but that should not surprise anyone. San Francisco lacks talent and true playmakers on both sides of the ball. They won’t contend for at least a few more years. But there is no question the Falcons miss him even more. Shanahan is considered one of the most brilliant minds in the NFL. And the Falcons’ offense has lacked a spark without him calling the shots.
Shanahan’s absence has taken a big hit on the play of other elements, though. Ryan won the MV¨P last season, but this year he is a shell of his former self. Freeman remains a valuable option in the backfield, but there is no question opposing defenses are quickly shifting the approach towards him, making him less effective overall. And Julio Jones has also had lots of problems this season. Even though he has played through injury at times, the talented receiver has not been very good. At least not by his regular standards.
Jones has 34 receptions, 466 yards, and only one touchdown in the current season. Those are not bad numbers but translate to 13.7 yards per catch. That figure would be a career-low for him.
He didn’t suddenly become an average receiver on one day. The main problem is that the Falcons are not targeting Jones enough, especially on red-zone plays. He is one of the best receivers in the league, on the same class as Antonio Brown or Odell Beckham Jr., just to name a few. One would think Atlanta would give him more options to play him, but that hasn’t been the case so far. That is clearly hurting Atlanta’s offense.
At 3-3, the Falcons still have enough time to turn things around. They are just one game back the New Orleans Saints for the NFC South lead. But if they want to change their fortunes, they need to improve their work on offense. And that begins with giving Julio Jones a larger role in the team’s game´plan. He is the only natural talent who can create something out of nothing and has enough talent to carry the team out of the funk they currently are.