Prompted today to talk about something we never expected from these Atlanta Falcons, I sat upon a mountain top for hours and meditated. The topic I came up with is one that probably won’t be met with universal praise.
When I put together my projections for the season, I suggested that the defense finishing in the top half of the league would be an accomplishment. The Falcons were loaded with talent, sure, but they were still a pretty mediocre defense for much of the 2016 season. There was no particular reason to think they’d be able to make some lightning fast ascent through the NFL’s defensive rankings, though, not when you had a couple of question marks and plenty of growth still ahead.