It was difficult not to be optimistic about the Atlanta Falcons over the spring and summer, and it was very difficult to be optimistic about them after Week 1. We had seen the story play out too many times—promise, hype, speculation turning into an early cratering, disappointment, and cold hard reality—to see the listless loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers as anything but a bad sign.
I was among those preaching patience while also expressing real concern. How many times had we seen the Falcons either start the season in a tailspin or descend into one quickly since that last winning season in 2017?