The Atlanta Falcons are 3-0, with wins over the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. Those three wins weren't easy, but they were impressive. The Falcons look like the best team in the NFC South and one of the best in the NFC. Here's why the Falcons will win the NFC South this season.
Improved Defense
The Falcons don't have elite defense, but its been better than last year's unit. Plenty of credit goes to the coaching staff (see below), but the Falcons players have stepped up in a big way. With a loaded offense, the Falcons just needed their defense to be better this season, and that's what the defense has done.
Better Coaching
Dan Quinn may be a first year head coach, but he's done a better job than Mike Smith. His imprint on the defense is already noticeable, and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has helped the offense. Coaching is often underrated, because the impact isn't as obvious as a dropped pass is. However, the Falcons' improved coaching staff is a big reason why they'll win the NFC South.
Balanced Offense
The Falcons were one-dimensional too often last season, forcing Matt Ryan to air it out and allowing defenses to focus on only stopping the pass. That has not been the case this season. The ground game is averaging over 100 yards per contest, forcing defenses to stay honest and freeing up the passing game. The Falcons air attack has been great, led by Julio Jones and Ryan, both of whom are on pace for career years. As a result, the Falcons are fifth in the NFL in points and third in yards. The Falcons aren't going to change their offense anytime soon and the offense will carry them to an NFC South title.
Easy Schedule
The Falcons play two teams (Vikings once and Panthers twice) with winning records the rest of the season. The Colts could become the third by the time the two teams face off in Week 11, but the Falcons have the easiest schedule in the NFL. The Falcons could very well start the season 9-0. They play the Texans, Redskins, Saints, Titans, Buccaneers and 49ers before their bye and the Falcons should be favored in each game. Two games against the Panthers will determine the winner of the NFC South, but the Falcons' easy schedule gives them a huge leg up.
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