Let’s take a deep look at the Falcons 2019 season, 2020 offseason and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 5th (6075 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 3rd (4714 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 30th (1361 yards) |
| Total Defense | 20th (5693 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 22nd (3918 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 15th (1775 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 23.8 |
| PPG Allowed | 24.9 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 24th |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 24th |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 13th |
Coaching Staff Changes
| Raheem Morris promoted to DC |
| Tosh Lupoi hired as DE Coach/Run Game Coordinator |
| Aden Durde promoted to OLB Coach |
| Joe Whitt Jr. hired as Pass Game Coordinator |
| Chad Walker hired as Safeties coach |
Offseason Additions
| Dante Fowler DE |
| Todd Gurley RB |
| Hayden Hurst TE |
| Charles Harris DE |
| Justin McCray G |
| LaRoy Reynolds LB |
| Laquon Treadwell WR |
| Deone Bucannon LB |
| Darqueze Dennard CB |
Offseason Losses
| Austin Hooper TE |
| Devonta Freeman RB |
| Desmond Trufant CB |
| Ty Sambrailo OT |
| Wes Schweitzer G |
| Vic Beasley DE |
| De’Vondre Campbell LB |
| Adrian Clayborn DE |
| Jack Crawford DT |
| Ryan Allen P |
| Luke Stocker TE |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 1 (16) – A.J. Terrell CB Clemson |
| Round 2 (47) – Marlon Davidson Edge Auburn |
| Round 3 (78) – Matt Hennessy C Temple |
| Round 4 (119) – Mykal Walker LB Fresno State |
| Round 4 (134) – Jaylinn Hawkins S California |
| Round 7 (228) – Sterling Hofrichter P Syracuse |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – vs Seattle Seahawks 1 PM ET FOX | 1-1 |
| Week 2 – at Dallas Cowboys 1 PM ET FOX | 1-1 |
| Week 3 – vs Chicago Bears 1 PM ET FOX | 1-0 |
| Week 4 – at Green Bay Packers 8:15 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 1-1 |
| Week 5 – vs Carolina Panthers 1 PM ET FOX | 5-1 |
| Week 6 – at Minnesota Vikings 1 PM ET FOX | 0-2 |
| Week 7 – vs Detroit Lions 1 PM ET FOX | 1-0 |
| Week 8 – at Carolina Panthers 8:20 PM ET FOX (TNF) | 5-1 |
| Week 9 – vs Denver Broncos 1 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 10 – BYE | |
| Week 11 – at New Orleans Saints 1 PM ET FOX | 2-4 |
| Week 12 – vs Las Vegas Raiders 1 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 13 – vs New Orleans Saints 1 PM ET FOX | 2-4 |
| Week 14 – at Los Angeles Chargers 4:25 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 15 – vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 PM ET FOX | 5-1 |
| Week 16 – at Kansas City Chiefs 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 17 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 PM ET FOX | 5-1 |
Miscellaneous Notes
| 10 First round picks on offense |
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Finished 2019 6-2 after their bye week (including road wins against NO and SF)
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Julio Jones has had 6 straight seasons with 1300+ yards
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| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 67.0% (highest in NFL) |
| Rush – 33.0% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. Julio Jones WR 90.6 |
| 2. Grady Jarrett DT 90.1 |
| 3. Jake Matthews LT 79.7 |
| 4. Deion Jones MLB 76.6 |
| 5. Matt Ryan QB 75.8 |
Burning Question: Can Raheem Morris fix up this defense?
Bottom Line: The Falcons once again bring a high powered offense to Atlanta. The offense has never been the issue. The defense on the other hand needs to step up if the Falcons want to get back into playoff contention.
Dante Fowler was a nice addition to the defensive line. They also invested their first 2 draft picks into the defensive side (AJ Terrell and Marlon Davidson). If guys like Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen and Deion Jones can all stay healthy this defense can be a respectable unit.
I think the Falcons will be fighting for a playoff spot until Week 17, but playing Tampa Bay 2 out of the final 3 games is a rough way to end the season. I feel like I may regret this, but I’ll say the Falcons barely miss out on the playoffs once again.
Predicted Win Range: 7-9
