“The only place you can go is up” is the best way to describe the Falcons going into 2014. Everything that could have gone wrong in 2013 essentially happened. Star players suffered serious injuries. Young players failed to develop. Dependable veterans drastically declined. All of those components culminated into a disastrous season.
Matt Ryan was one of the few players to emerge without getting severely hurt or struggling mightily. The franchise quarterback played admirably well behind a fragmented offensive line, while his star-studded trio of playmakers were never fully healthy at the same time.