Could the Atlanta Falcons overtake the other three teams in the NFC South and return to the postseason for the first time since 2017? That was the thought on the first day of the new league year when they signed free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins.
While Cousins hasn’t been a pioneer of playoff success during his 12-year NFL career, he has made great strides at the quarterback position, and with the team coming off three straight seasons with a 7-10 record, the veteran QB may finally lead Atlanta to a championship in 2024.
USA TODAY’s Nate Davis on Monday released his record projections for all 32 NFL teams in 2024. USA TODAY’s projections have the Falcons finishing with a 9-8 record and winning the NFC South.
Their super-flex roster-building approach will undoubtedly receive additional scrutiny in camp and during the preseason, given the possibility that first-round draft QB Michael Pennis Jr. will display mobility and arm strength that Cousins could only dream of. But the Falcons didn’t sign the veteran to a four-year, $180 million deal without any hope that it would significantly strengthen a position that began to betray the team when Matt Ryan began to fade in 2021, his final year in Atlanta. The Falcons have a wealth of talent, a new coach (Raheem Morris) who was hired ahead of Belichick and has been consistently praised by other players, and the benefit of the weakest schedule in the league. From Week 3 through Week 9, the team will play five home games, facing all of their division rivals. During this period, Atlanta has a chance to clinch the NFC South crown for the first time since 2016. — Nate Davis, USA Today
The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are both expected to miss the playoffs after finishing tied for second in their divisions with 8-9 records each this season. The Falcons are expected to lose to the Detroit Lions in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Davis predicts the New York Jets will beat the Green Bay Packers to win the Super Bowl.
Atlanta’s offense has certainly improved, but has the team done enough on the defensive end? The Falcons lost Calais Campbell, Bud Dupree and Jeff Okudah during the offseason. The team drafted replacements for Campbell and Dupree, but there’s still uncertainty in the secondary.
Either way, the Falcons now have more stability at quarterback and a better chance heading into 2024. It will be interesting to see how the defense holds up when facing strong offensive lines in the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in the first month of the season.