The Falcons failed their first test of the season, but don’t burn your jerseys just yet. Things are never as good or as bad as they appear in Week 1 and there’s still plenty of time to right the ship over the next 16 weeks.
With that in mind, here are five reasons not to panic after the team’s ugly loss to the Vikings.
1. Good teams win home openers
The Vikings may not have a star quarterback, but they’re still a tough team and they play in one of the loudest stadiums in the country. After a frustrating 2018 season, Minnesota needed to get off to a better start. The crowd of 66,000 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was deafening and brought a playoff-level intensity to Sunday’s game. Minnesota was favored for a reason: good teams generally win their home openers. The Patriots, Seahawks, Chargers, Saints, Chargers and Eagles each took care of business at home in Week 1. Atlanta has a chance to win their own opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this Sunday.
2. Julio Jones will bounce back
After an entire offseason of promising fans that Jones would get his extension, the Falcons kept their word. Jones will hold up his end of the bargain – he’s allowed to have a quiet game every now and then. Plus, he’s historically struggled matching up with Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes — this time being held to 31 yards on six catches on 11 targets. Jones is nearly impossible to contain most of the time, so we expect him to bounce back in a big way against the Eagles in Week 2.
3. The offensive line might get better
They certainly can’t be much worse than they were in Week 1, anyway. With three new starters and two rookies, the Falcons predictably struggled with the Vikings’ ferocious front seven. It’s true the team lost Chris Lindstrom to a broken foot, but they spent big money on Jamon Brown for a reason. Offensive lines take time to jell. Fortunately for Atlanta, it has Pro Bowl center Alex Mack in the middle to help the transition. The more the Falcons play, the better they should be up front.
4. New schemes take time
Dirk Koetter wasn’t exactly a stranger to the Falcons organization when they brought him on as offensive coordinator. However, the majority of the offense — outside of Jones and Matt Ryan — is still learning Koetter’s system. Meanwhile, head coach Dan Quinn took over Atlanta’s defense, which was terrible in its own right. Ben Kotwica’s debut as special teams coach was disappointing as well. Adjusting to scheme and coordinator changes takes time, but unfortunately you don’t get much of it in the NFL.
5. The Falcons have too many weapons to keep struggling
With Austin Hooper, Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu and Devonta Freeman all complementing Jones, the Falcons have too much firepower to score only 12 points a game. The Vikings are truly a nightmare matchup for Atlanta, whose offense couldn’t get going due to Minnesota’s pass rush. Assuming Quinn does a better job calling the defense against the Eagles next week, the Falcons should at least be able to make it a close game.
