Last year’s Atlanta Falcons were a tale of two teams.
Quarterback Matt Ryan led the offense to 272.7 passing yards per game, the fifth-best in the NFL.
The Falcons offense also averaged close to 25 points per game.
Making history.
Matt Ryan has more passing yards than any other player in their first 14 NFL seasons. pic.twitter.com/zus1bUv29L
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 19, 2021
But their pass defense could not stop anyone because they gave up a league-worst 293.6 yards per game.
The Falcons surrendered 34 passing touchdowns, third-worst last year, and allowed 7.9 yards per completion.
Those digits led the Falcons to a 4-12 record, including Dan Quinn’s 0-5 slate to start the season.
This standing is a steep fall from grace, considering they played in Super Bowl LI four seasons before.
The franchise tried to address its weaknesses through the draft.
They made Kyle Pitts the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history to field passes from Ryan.
The Falcons also took offensive guard Jalen Mayfield and center Drew Dalman.
But a big chunk of their haul went to the defense with safety Richie Grant plus cornerbacks Darren Hall and Avery Williams.
Atlanta also drafted defensive ends Ta’Quon Graham and Adetokunbo Ogundeji to help improve their pass rush.
Unfortunately, the upgrades did not manifest during the preseason, as the Falcons lost all three games.
They lost to the Tennessee Titans, 23-3, and the Miami Dolphins, 37-17.
The Falcons closed the preseason with a 19-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
However, the preseason does not dictate an NFL team’s fate.
But it looks like their offseason performances indicate their futility moving forward.
They did not score a touchdown during their opening weekend loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Live look at Jalen Hurts in Atlanta #Eagles #FlyEaglesFly #PHIvsATL pic.twitter.com/X1C9bFmgZt
— Conor Ferrigan (@ConorFerrigan) September 12, 2021
Younghoe Koo’s two field goals saved the team from a shutout.
In contrast, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had an impressive game with 27 completions for 264 yards, and three touchdown passes.
Not Enough Against The Defending Champions
The Falcons scored 25 points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including two touchdown passes from Ryan to Calvin Ridley and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Patterson added another rushing touchdown, and Pitts had a better outing with five receptions for 73 yards.
Sadly, Ryan also threw three interceptions which helped the Buccaneers dominate the second half.
Two of those picks went to Mike Edwards, while the other to Shaquil Barrett.
Worst, Tom Brady had 24 completions for 276 yards and five touchdown passes.
The 44-year-old quarterback threw touchdown passes to Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski, and Chris Godwin.
The defending Super Bowl champions had the last laugh even if the Falcons had more passing yards and third-down conversions.
Atlanta also led in time of possession and penalties.
Fire the cannons. Five touchdown passes for @TomBrady! 🐐 #GoBucs
📺: #ATLvsTB on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/aoi6w5q9kN— NFL (@NFL) September 19, 2021
In the end, their defeat harmed their overall stats after two weeks.
They rank 25th in total yards with 304 per game and 24th in passing yards with 214.5 per game.
The Falcons also rank 24th in rushing yards with 89.5 per outing.
Meanwhile, their 15.5 points per game are third-worst in the league.
With only three touchdowns in two games, the 2021 season looks like another disappointing campaign for the Falcons.
However, they have the chance to bounce back when they face the New York Giants, Washington Football Team, New York Jets, and Miami Dolphins in the next four weeks.
They can make a push to a winning record through those games.
But that’s more fiction than a fact after seeing how they play.
NEXT: Falcons Staring Down A Nightmare Start To 2021 Season