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The Falcons have dominated on offense with the NFL's most balanced attack
What if I told you the league’s best offense came from a team in the NFC South? You’d probably assume it was either the Cam Newton-led Panthers, or Drew Brees’ Saints, right?
Well, neither of those teams is the best. However, an NFC South team is No. 1 in the NFL. And it's led by Matt Ryan.
The Atlanta Falcons, sitting at 2-1, have been a pleasant surprise in 2016. Their only loss came in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Jameis Winston put on a show, topping the Falcons 31-24 behind his four touchdown passes. The loss wasn’t necessarily the offense’s fault, though. Matt Ryan threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns, while he didn’t commit a single turnover.
The Falcons have rebounded beautifully since that loss, winning back-to-back games over the Raiders and Saints. Not surprisingly, they’ve done it on offense – the most balanced unit in football.
Dan Quinn and the coaching staff quickly realized they can’t win by rushing the ball for 52 yards, as they did in Week 1. They made changes to the offense, making it more balanced between the run and pass, and it has worked to perfection. Since the season opener, Atlanta has rushed for 356 yards in the past two games, skyrocketing up the ranks as one of the best rushing offenses in football.
By the same token, the Falcons have also had a great deal of success through the air. Despite the fact that the Falcons have committed to the run, and rightfully so, Matt Ryan and the passing game haven’t taken a hit. They’ve stayed on track and remained explosive.
Ryan and the Falcons are fourth in passing yards, first in passer rating and yards per attempt, and he has seven touchdown passes to just one interception. Only two teams – the Saints and Bucs – have more touchdown passes than the Falcons do. However, both of those teams have just one rushing touchdown, which is second-worst in the NFL.
Obviously, it’s still very early and the Falcons are just three games in, but not many teams have gotten off to as hot of a start as they have. Only three times since 1970 has a team racked up at least 900 passing yards and 400 yards on the ground through three weeks: The 1983 Chargers, the 1991 Bills and the 2014 Redskins. That’s it.
In fact, the Falcons are on pace for a historic season offensively. They’re averaging 312 passing yards and 136 rushing yards per game in 2016, which is nearly unprecedented. Since the merger in 1970, only the 2011 Saints averaged at least 300 passing yards and 130 rushing yards per game for the entire season.
Going back to 2011, Drew Brees threw for 5,476 yards and the Saints as a team rushed for 2,127 yards. And much like the Falcons, the Saints used a committee approach at running back with Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Chris Ivory. That group was assuredly the best backfield in football, just as the Falcons have arguably the top running back duo in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.
The Falcons have used both backs interchangeably because they offer similar skill sets – speed, strength on short-yardage plays, elusiveness, pass-catching ability. As a result, they’ve combined for 375 rushing yards and 242 yards receiving this season, to go along with five of the team’s 11 offensive touchdowns.
It’s rare that a team has a pair of running backs it can use regardless of formation or play call. Coleman and Freeman have elevated the Falcons’ offense because of their versatility and similarities, and that was on full display Monday night. The duo combined for 102 receiving yards – No. 1 and 2 on the team – with 194 yards on the ground. They also accounted for four of the team’s five touchdowns.
There’s a reason the Falcons average the most yards per game (448) and lead the NFL in points per game by a wide margin (34.7). They haven’t faced the toughest defenses, but it’s easy to make the case they’re the most balanced offense in football right now. And with two young backs in the fold, they’re going to stay fresh for all 16 games barring any injury.
