The Atlanta Falcons had a disappointing season considering all that it was hyped up to be.
They finished 7-9 and were not in playoff contention. The Falcons did battle injury troubles, losing two offensive guards and several more players on defense. Overall, the season was seen as a bust by the fans.
The Offense:
The most overlooked part of the Falcons season, due to the losses, was the offense. The offense averaged around 26 points a game and finished 10th in scoring. Matt Ryan had a fantastic season despite a weak offensive line, finishing third in touchdowns and passing yards.
The run game was weak with Devonta Freeman landing on the injured reserve early in the season but it allowed rookie Ito Smith to get some snaps and Tevin Coleman to show he can be a No. 1 running back. Coleman will head into the next season as a free agent and it is most likely he will go somewhere else because of the massive amount they are paying Freeman. Julio Jones had a great season finishing first in receiving yards.
Overall, the offense did its job and the only offseason needs are to draft or sign an offensive guard and make a decision about the running back position.
The Defense:
The defense was the Achilles heel for the Falcons this season, allowing 26 points per game, which was 25th best in the league. Early in the season, many big players got injured, including Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen, Deion Jones, and Grady Jarrett.
The injuries ended up hurting the Falcons bad, especially late in games. The Falcons were unable to get key stops late in the game which resulted in no playoffs for the team.
Though the defense had many struggles this season, there ended up being many pros for the defense, too. Damontae Kazee was the highlight of the defense this year; he came in as a backup safety for Neal and ended up getting seven interceptions and tying for first in the league.
Overall, the defense has needs all over which need to be patched this off-season.
Although many things should be solid once everyone is healthy, everything could use solidification on the defensive side of the football.
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