32 Teams in 32 Days: Atlanta Falcons

Well I have been doing this for only 3 days and i have already missed a day so lets just say that is not a great start. But, nevertheless lets get back at it today with a look at the Atlanta Falcons. Last year the Falcons may have been arguably the most surprising team in the league, but not in a good way. They finished last season with a 4-12 record and their four wins came by a combined total of 16 points. So to say last season was a step back from their NFC championship game run 2 seasons ago is a vast understatement. We can cut them some slack though as they faced many injuries including Julio Jones for the season early last year and Roddy White being on and off the field game to game. But, this year I believe they will get back to their winning ways and compete with the Saints for the top spot in the division. First, lets take a look at some of the position battles going on in camp now. Also, keep an eye on these battles yourself by watching Hard Knocks on Tuesday's at 10 p.m on HBO.

Free Safety: Dwight Lowery vs Dezmond Southward

Lowery is a veteran guy who has spent 6 seasons in the league with the Jets and the Jaguars. Lowery was brought in as a free agent this off-season and most people assumed he would probably take over for the departed Thomas DeCoud who signed with a division rival in the Carolina Panthers. But, it wasnt such a shoe-in after they drafted Southward in the third round of this years draft. Southward is a big physical presence out of Wisconsin who has the ability to play both safety spots. 

Not only is Lowery battling Southward, he is also always battling injuries as he has only played in 12 games total over the past 2 seasons. And sure enough he was diagnosed with a concussion a few days ago and now the competition is wide open.

Pick-Southward

Running Back: Jacquizz Rodgers vs Devonta Freeman

While Steven Jackson is the starter but battling a hamstring injury and probably will miss the preseason, these two are battling out for who will get more touches behind Jackson and who may even cut into some of Jackson's touches. Rodgers has been with the Falcons and I believe his best attribute is his receiving ability and work in the open field. Freeman is a rookie out of Florida State who ran for over 1000 yards and 14 TD last year and has shown the ability to be an every down back. And so far is has showed it in camp and is ahead in the competition right now. Don't be surprised if this kid starts some games during the season and shows us all his outstanding ability.

Pick- Freeman

Nickel Back: Robert McClain vs Javier Arenas vs Josh Wilson 

Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford already have the outside on lock so these three players look to battle it out for the nickel position. McClain was in this position last year but, Arenas and Wilson are looking to come in and earn that spot. They all had below average cover statistics last season so I believe McClain will hold onto this spot.

Pick-McClain

Now that we have looked over some of the position battles in camp lets look at some key players for the Falcons this year:

Julio Jones- Jones played in only five games last years before he had his season ended by injury. But, in those five games he had 41 catches for 580 yards and 2 TD. He is a serious deep threat and can run by any CB in the league. If he can stay healthy and repeat his numbers from 2 years ago where he had almost 1200 yards and 10 TD and pair him with Roddy White again, the Falcons will be a very hard team to slow down. 

Matt Ryan- Going into his seventh year, the Boston College product will again benefit with his whole wide receiver corps healthy and ready to go. Ryan didnt have a bad season last year as he threw for over 4500 yards but his TD:INT ratio was an average 26:17. This was a result of him trying to squeeze balls into small windows and not having 100% trust in the receivers that were running the routes. Ryan makes or breaks this team as they heavily rely on him to be a leader out on the field. 

Osi Umenyiora (and the rest of the d-line)- Umenyiora who led the team with 7.5 sacks last year has to match or improve on that number this year, as does the rest of the d-line. The whole unit has to step up and help out the linebackers as they lost the heart of their defense Sean Weatherspoon for the whole season. 

X-Factors- The RB's 

If this group of guys is able to give some balance to this offense with a power running game, it makes the offense that much better. If Jackson is gonna be hobbled, Rodgers and Freeman have to step up and fill or exceed his role in order to keep defenses off-balanced and not solely focused on White and Jones on the outside. 

Season Outlook:

The 2014 schedule is listed below... If this team can stay healthy, their offense will be able to carry them to many wins. I can realistically see the Falcons having a big bounce back season and going 12-4 as they are out to prove last year was a fluke. I see them winning the division in a tie-breaker over the Saints and being a 3 seed come playoffs. And remember check back tomorrow as I take a look at the Baltimore Ravens.