Are the Falcons the biggest pretenders in football?

[Messiah]

They barely squeak out wins week after week. Tennessee had them beat but Mettenberger misses a throw. Their offense can't stand getting hit, got bodied by the Saints and Bucs.

Does anyone actually fear the Falcons?

[Everlong]

No, I've been saying this all year in fact, so I completely agre with you. They're soft as fuck, just like they have every other time they've been "contenders" in the Matt Ryan era.

If they make the playoffs, they'll be an easy win for whoever they play in the wild card round.

[Messiah]

Lmao they lost to Gabbert

[RatedRBowler]

lmao Falcons softer than Charmin.

[The Legend]

I don't think they are pretenders, but I think ultimately when you come from as far away as they did last year when they were horrible to be in this place this year where it still looks like a playoff spot is highly likely that's a huge improvement. They aren't all the way back, but they are definitely getting there with Dan Quinn.

[Messiah]

Tbh I wouldn't consider a playoff spot for them highly likely. They struggle against hard-nosed football teams. Vikings, on the road against the Bucs, Panthers 2x could body them. Not to mention the Saints and Colts, I'm not sold the Falcons are better than either of those 2 teams. Seahawks are closing in on them. Maybe if the Vikings fall off, which is really likely given they have a BRUTAL upcoming schedule.

Unless you have a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball or are that well coached, you can't really get away with being soft. And I don't even think it is Quinn's fault that they are soft. I just think they aren't that talented and still have awhile to go. Ryan has looked meh this year.

[The Legend]

Tbh I wouldn't consider a playoff spot for them highly likely. They struggle against hard-nosed football teams. Vikings, on the road against the Bucs, Panthers 2x could body them. Not to mention the Saints and Colts, I'm not sold the Falcons are better than either of those 2 teams. Seahawks are closing in on them. Maybe if the Vikings fall off, which is really likely given they have a BRUTAL upcoming schedule.

Unless you have a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball or are that well coached, you can't really get away with being soft. And I don't even think it is Quinn's fault that they are soft. I just think they aren't that talented and still have awhile to go. Ryan has looked meh this year.

To be honest, the Seahawks aren't closing in on them at all. At the halfway point they are a .500 team. There's 5 teams in the NFC that have won twice as many games as they've lost and Atlanta's one of them. Truthfully, I just don't see it as that competitive of a playoff race in the NFL this year. There's the haves and the have nots and the line deliniating them all seems pretty clear. I struggle to find enough games where the Seahawks do much better than 8-8 maybe 9-7 in the second half of the year. I mean they are just a team that was always built for short-term winning. When you build on defense like Seattle did, it's only a matter of time before all those stars on defense want paid and you can't keep everyone happy in a hard salary cap sport. That's why teams that have sustained success of more than a few years do it based on paying a quarterback who deserves it 20 million a year and letting him carry your team in the way the Patriots and Colts have for this whole millenium.

But that's a tangent for another day. Getting back to the playoffs discussion. If I'm being honest, I really only think there's one playoff spot in each conference that is up for grabs in any meaningful way. It's the NFC East and the second AFC Wild Card spot which should come down to either the Jets or Raiders. I think the other 10 teams that hold a playoff spot are all going to keep that playoff spot at season's end.

[Messiah]

Atlanta is 1-3 in their last 4 games. They have in that stretch lost to the Gabbert led 49ers, the Saints, and the Bucs, and barely escaped with a win against the Titans who were playing Mettenberger. They were fortunate enough that Mettenberger completely missed on a wide open receiver on 4th down.

Meanwhile the Seahawks have reeled off 2 straight victories and have 3 upcoming home games.

How are they not closing in on the Falcons?

Falcons are an average at best team, you make it sound like the Seahawks catching up to them is an unlikely scenario. And even if they don't finish any better than 9-7, the Falcons based off how they have played aren't looking at anything better than 9-7 either. Their offense has been completely stagnant lately and their defense is bad. They have to play the Colts, Vikings, Panthers 2x, Bucs, and Saints. I don't think it is a stretch to think they lose all those games. They aren't better than the Vikings or Panthers, and about the same level as the Saints, Bucs, and Colts. And they already lost to 2 of those teams.

[Messiah]

And sorry but I just can't buy into a team whose head coach was too scared to go for it in the situation the Falcons were in on Sunday. What a coward.

[Messiah]

To be honest, the Seahawks aren't closing in on them at all. At the halfway point they are a .500 team.

Sorry, had to come back to this thread.

Falcons fading away quick.