Atlanta Falcons

Falcons at Broncos: 3 things we learned from Atlanta's win

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Here are the three biggest things we learned from Week 5’s game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos.

The Atlanta Falcons came into their Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos fresh off victories against the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. However, their big-play offense would be facing one of the best defensive units in all of football on Sunday, as the Broncos have shown through the first four weeks that they are going to be hard to score on. There was not a ton of points scored during the game, but the Falcons definitely were the better team on the field.

Rookie Paxton Lynch got the start for Denver in place of the injured Trevor Siemian, and he struggled early on. He could not move the offense at all in the first half, as the Broncos went into halftime with only 45 passing yards. He played better in the second half, but Atlanta was just too good on Sunday.

Matt Ryan threw for over 260 yards against a tough Denver defense, though only 90 went to his receiving corps. Star wideout Julio Jones caught only two balls against a tough Denver secondary. Still, Atlanta made enough plays to grab the road victory against the defensing Super Bowl champions, and are now 4-1 on the young season.

Here are three things we learned from Sunday’s action.

1. Trevor Siemian may be better than we thought

Through the Broncos first four games, the offense and the defense played solid. In fact, the team looked so good that you would not expect that their starting quarterback had never started an NFL regular season game before this season. After a big opening night win on Thursday Night Football in a Super Bowl 50 rematch, quarterback Trevor Siemian put his stamp on the team.

In Week 2, Siemian battled Pro Bowl quarterback Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, throwing 265 yards in a big AFC win. The following week, the second-year player out of Northwestern tossed four touchdowns in a drubbing of perennial AFC playoff contender Cincinnati Bengals. Siemian was hurt last week, but looked very good before having to leave with an injury.

Most believed that rookie Paxton Lynch would jump right in and move the offense the same way. Siemian, after all, was supposed to be a holder at the position until Lynch was ready. However, Lynch looked very much overmatched in his first NFL start on Sunday, and the Broncos are probably very happy Siemian will be back on Thursday night,

2. Atlanta is legit

The Atlanta Falcons have been one of the more surprising teams in the NFC this season, and on Sunday, they beat a team who could represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this season. Throughout the first four weeks of the season, the team has been led by their offense, but it was their defense that stepped up against Denver. They were able to go into a hostile environment for the second time in three weeks, and came out unscathed.

All week, we talked about how explosive their offense is, as Matt Ryan and Julio Jones have lit up the NFL during the team’s first four games. On Sunday, it was a total team effort, as the running backs did a nice job of supplementing the passing game. In fact, backup running back Tevin Coleman led the way in the passing game, raking in 132 yards through the air.

Atlanta already has huge wins against New Orleans and Carolina on their resume, and a win against Denver on the road will only add to their confidence. The team has another big NFC contest in Week 6, as they travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in another tough road game. If Atlanta wins again next week, they have to be considered an early favorite to represent the NFC in the big game in February.

3. These teams may meet again in Super Bowl LI

It is still very early in the season, but the game on Sunday could have been a preview of Super Bowl LI in February. The Broncos are a completely different team with Siemian under center, and this game would have been a lot closer if he would have played. Both teams have solid players on both sides of the ball, and if they continue to gel, they both could make serious runs at the Super Bowl.

Matt Ryan is an elite quarterback, and for him to be able to use all his weapons against a tough Denver defense is a testament to how far he has come. The knock on him was that he forced too many balls, but he is starting to utilize his running backs in the passing game more. Not to mention he has arguably the best receiver in football, so expect the Falcons to continue this solid run of football.

Denver is going to be fine, and despite losing at home, is still the favorite to win their division. The Oakland Raiders are also 4-1 on the season, and they are solid too, but Denver has the pieces to return to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. If Siemian continues to progress at the quarterback position, they are going to be hard to beat.