Atlanta Falcons

5 reasons the Atlanta Falcons are destined to win Super Bowl LI

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:53 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Falcons have been very impressive in the first five weeks of the 2016 season. Here are five reasons Atlanta is destined to win Super Bowl LI.

Once again, the Atlanta Falcons are off to a hot start. Atlanta is 4-1 on the year with impressive wins over the Oakland Raiders, the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. With the rest of the NFC South struggling, it looks like the Falcons will win the 2016 divisional crown.

Then again, Atlanta started the 2015 out 5-0 and failed to reach the playoffs at 8-8. However, this is a different team than a year ago. Atlanta does have another tough road game in Week 6 versus the Seattle Seahawks, but might this be the year the Falcons get back to the Super Bowl?

It’s insanely early, but here are five reasons the 2016 Falcons might be a team of destiny and could reach Super Bowl LI in Houston.

Oct 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) is tackled by Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal (22) and outside linebacker Vic Beasley (44) in the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Falcons defeated the Broncos 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

5. Atlanta’s defense is improving

Let’s be real. The Falcons aren’t going to have an elite defense at any point of the 2016 NFL season. They don’t have the personnel to be a top 10 unit.

However, that doesn’t mean Atlanta will be all gloom-and-doom on that side of the ball. There is still plenty this defense can do to get better as the season progresses. It’s early, but it looks like the defense is starting to improve under head coach Dan Quinn’s leadership.

It was going to be a multi-year project for Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff to rebuild this Falcons defense. Atlanta only has one Pro Bowler on that side of the ball in cornerback Desmond Trufant. However, it does seem like the Falcons are a well-coached defense despite being below-average by NFL standards.

Effort will help this defense get tighter. Quinn has made it a priority for the Falcons to be a sound tackling football team. He has installed a rugby-style tackling program since his first year in Flowery Branch in 2015. It’s really starting to pay off. Atlanta doesn’t make every tackle, but the Falcons do strike their opponents with authority on defense.

Even last year, Atlanta did have ballhawking tendencies in its secondary. That unit is arguably the best part of the Falcons defense. The Falcons secondary will still have multiple dumb penalties a game, but isn’t afraid to compete with the best wideouts in football.

The linebacking corps is Atlanta’s weakest unit in terms of personnel. Injuries have diminished the already weak unit. However, the Falcons linebackers are well-coached by defensive coordinator Richard Smith and linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich. This is the area of the Falcons defense where competitiveness shines through the most.

Atlanta has been destroyed on the defensive side of the ball by its toothless pass rush. It seems that Quinn’s teachings are finally paying off in 2016. 2015 first-round pick Vic Beasley has looked exponentially better in 2016 and he has a great on-field mentor in Dwight Freeney.

Overall, Atlanta won’t be able to lean on its defense every week, but it’s good enough to help the Falcons reach and possibly win Super Bowl LI.

Oct 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman (26) runs past Denver Broncos strong safety T.J. Ward (43) for a touchdown in the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Falcons defeated the Broncos 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

4. Beat both Super Bowl 50 teams in consecutive weeks

In a weird set of circumstances, the 2016 Falcons became only the third team in NFL history to beat the previous year’s two Super Bowls teams in consecutive weeks.

By beating the Carolina Panthers in Week 4 and the Denver Broncos in Week 5, the Falcons joined the 1982 San Diego Chargers and the 1985 Detroit Lions as the only teams to accomplish this impressive feat. San Diego beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals in the strike-shortened 1982 season. Detroit handled the 49ers and the Miami Dolphins back in 1985.

Will the Broncos get back to the Super Bowl? Maybe. How about the Panthers? Probably not. Regardless, both early 2016 season wins seems to have legitimized the Falcons’ on-field success. These were two juggernaut defenses that the Falcons managed to beat in consecutive weeks.

Atlanta torched Carolina through the air in Week 4 at home and decimated Denver with great tailback play in Week 5. It’s not like Atlanta is winning games by doing the same thing every week offensively. This team has shown it can adapt depending on its opponent.

To beat championship-caliber teams, a team can’t turn the football over and has to exploit an opposing defense’s vulnerabilities with a well-designed offensive game plan. Atlanta knew that Carolina was weak in the secondary and trending downwards on the defensive line. The play-action pass and vertical receiving routes ultimately did the Panthers in.

The Falcons recognized the Broncos have one of the best defenses in football. Denver’s only hole was up the middle at defensive tackle and inside linebacker. Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan devised a game plan to befuddle the Denver defense with a ton of inside runs and check downs to the tailbacks. Shanahan might have found a blueprint to beat Wade Phillips’ vaunted Denver defense for the rest of the NFL.

Atlanta will have a few more championship-caliber teams left on its schedule. Those teams include Seattle, the Green Bay Packers, the Philadelphia Eagles and another date with the Panthers. If the Falcons can continue to beat or just hold their own against the NFL’s creme de la creme, they will be a serious Super Bowl LI contender.

Sep 26, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn talks to an official in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

3. Their temperament is ideal for a deep playoff run

This is very much an intangible trait, but the Falcons seem to have the ideal temperament to play in and win a Super Bowl. Atlanta’s mood doesn’t fluctuate all that much in victory or defeat.

Championship teams like the New England Patriots and the Seahawks have this disposition. It is a huge reason those are two of the elite franchises in the NFL today. There are other talented teams like the Cincinnati Bengals, the Panthers and maybe even the Dallas Cowboys that are too emotionally volatile to stay the course in a long NFL season.

How is Atlanta staying relatively even-keeled with all its early season success? It’s the culture Quinn has brought with him from Seattle. He also has the ideal team leaders in quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Julio Jones and cornerback Trufant to maintain this unwavering demeanor.

Atlanta plays with emotion on the field. Every team does that, but it’s how the Falcons conduct themselves with the media and with each other in the locker room that might makes this team championship-caliber.

Playing with poise is something every team strives for, but few are doing it to the degree of the 2016 Falcons. Atlanta isn’t going to go 15-1 this year. The Falcons will probably finish in the 10 to 13-win range this season.

They’ll learn from their mistakes, but most importantly they won’t be too celebratory in victory or too downtrodden in defeat. Emotionally, this team is buttoned-up and that’s bad news for whomever the Falcons are playing.

Oct 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter of their game against the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 48-33. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

2. The 2016 NFC Playoffs will be decided indoors

What do the Vikings, the Cowboys and the Falcons all have in common? These are three NFC division leaders entering Week 5. They also play their home games indoors. Minnesota has beautiful US Bank Stadium, Dallas has the football mecca, AT&T Stadium, and Atlanta has one more year at the Georgia Dome before playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017.

It’s early, but the three top teams in the NFC all play their home games in a dome. Should these three teams finish one, two, three, Atlanta will not play an NFC Playoff game outdoors in frigid January weather. The Falcons would at least have home a Wild Card game in Atlanta, before playing inside at places like Arlington or Minneapolis.

Atlanta isn’t built to win meaningful football games in harsh weather. Ryan doesn’t have elite NFL arm strength from the quarterback position and the Falcons may not have the defense to stop the run with conviction come playoff time.

That all goes out the window when playing playoff football in a dome. The opposing crowd noise won’t negatively impact the Falcons. They already get a dose of that annually with the arch nemesis New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Atlanta is built to win in a dome environment with great special teams play and elite perimeter weapons.

Yes, teams like the Eagles, Packers and Seahawks can make the NFC Playoffs, but will they be good enough to win their divisions? Philadelphia trails Dallas in the NFC East. Green Bay trails Minnesota in the NFC West.

Seattle does lead the Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. However, Los Angeles plays in sunny California, Arizona plays in a dome in Glendale and Quinn knows what it takes to win in the rainy Pacific Northwest.

Realistically, there are four places Atlanta doesn’t want to play in the NFC Playoffs: Charlotte, Green Bay, Philadelphia and Seattle. There is a decent chance the Falcons might be able to avoid playing in any of those outdoor stadiums as long as they win the NFC South.

Oct 9, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) and quarterback Matt Ryan (2) celebrate the win over the Denver Broncos in the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Falcons defeated the Broncos 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

1. This is the best offense in football

Yes, great defense usually beats great offense. However, the best offense in football did beat the best defense in football on Sunday when the Falcons knocked off the Broncos in Denver. That had more to do with bad quarterback play from rookie Paxton Lynch than anything, but an elite offense can top an elite defense on occasion.

There are other teams in the NFL with high-octane offenses comparable to Atlanta’s. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Patriots first come to mind. However, Atlanta might have the most balanced offense in the league in 2016. The Falcons do everything well offensively.

Atlanta runs the football with conviction with a phenomenal tailback tandem of Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman. The Falcons have a strong offensive line that plays well in both pass protection and run blocking. Atlanta has the best fullback in football in Patrick DiMarco. DiMarco is proof that there is still value at a position many teams view as obsolete.

Ryan is a Pro Bowl level quarterback. He’s great in the pre-snap and delivers an accurate football. His arm strength is average, but he has improved his mobility since playing for Shanahan in the West Coast offense.

Jones is the best wideout in the NFC. He can and does everything for this Falcons offense. Atlanta’s complementary receiving threats of Mohamed Sanu, Jacob Tamme and Justin Hardy aren’t too shabby either.

What makes this Falcons offense so special is that Atlanta is capable of beating its opponents in a myriad of ways. They can ground and pound in a conservative, run-first style. Atlanta can win in the short, bubble screen passing game. The Falcons can possession receive between the hash marks. They have shown a proclivity for going vertical in 2016.

Atlanta’s well-roundedness on offense makes it especially hard for opposing defensive coordinators to game plan against the Falcons. It also helps to have an ageless, but accurate kicker in Matt Bryant that drains just about every kick from 53 yards in.

There may not be an NFL team better equipped to continuously win shootouts than the 2016 Falcons. If they can continue to force timely turnovers on defense, Atlanta can win its first Super Bowl in franchise history in 2016.