TAMPA — Armed with a new head coach and some old Tampa Bay Buccaneer influences, the Atlanta Falcons have a puncher’s chance in a lightweight division.
Dan Quinn has replaced Mike Smith at the helm and it didn’t take long before Seattle’s former defensive coordinator realized he isn’t surrounded by studs like Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Bobby Wagner and Michael Bennett.
But as long as quarterback Matt Ryan remains upright in the pocket and can throw to Julio Jones, the Falcons can’t be counted out in the NFC South, where no team boasted a winning record or a positive point differential in 2014.