By: Andy Davies

When Arthur Smith was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he came into the role with a great reputation for improving players after a two-season spell as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.

One player he helped improve was quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The former first-round pick arrived after a mixed spell with the Miami Dolphins. Tannehill improved massively, earning the award for Comeback Player of the Year after his first season with the franchise despite starting the season as the backup to Marcus Mariota. When Smith was promoted to offensive coordinator, he only got better.

Smith was predicted by many to help Matt Ryan get back to his former MVP self after what he did for Tannehill. Ryan has not improved or regressed in 2021. Instead, it has been Cordarrelle Patterson that has been the biggest improver under Smith. 

Here is why Patterson is Smith’s new Tannehill. 

Overcoming Expectation

The Falcons experimented with the idea of bringing Todd Gurley back to his best in 2020 but this only lasted one season. Instead of giving Gurley a new deal, they went for the versatile Patterson in Free Agency who signed a one-year $3 million deal. 

Patterson has been seen as somewhat of a journeyman during his NFL career, with the Falcons his fifth organisation since being drafted 29^th overall in 2013. For a while, he was seen as a great return specialist at best, with the occasional snaps as a running back or wide receiver.

He is a Super Bowl champion, earning a ring with the New England Patriots after their 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53. However, he had just two rushing attempts for 7 yards and two receptions for 14 yards as well as a 38-yard kick return. He did not exactly have a big role in the game, in what is the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history. 

Patterson has started eight games this season. This is tied for the most games he has started, alongside his 2016 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings. The growth of Patterson and improvement made under Smith can be seen when you compare these two seasons.

In 2016, he recorded 43 rushing yards from 7 attempts and 453 yards from 52 receptions. In 2021, he has so far recorded 489 rushing yards from 106 carries and 518 receiving yards from 44 catches. He is having the best season of his career by some distance. 

The Falcons need to make sure he is at the franchise for more than one season. Giving him a new contract should be number one on the list of priorities for this team. He has been a brilliant addition to the Falcons offense. Kyle Pitts leads the team in receiving yards this season (770), but Calvin Ridley announced midseason that he would take a break from the sport for personal reasons. With the offseason departure of Julio Jones, Patterson’s rise in form has come at the perfect time. They currently sit at 6-7 with a chance of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.

Smith’s Influence

The aforementioned Tannehill spoke about Smith during the 2021 offseason.

“He’s a great coach. Everything you look for in a coach and a leader and a great offensive mind.”

It is not just Tannehill that saw massive improvement under Smith. Running back Derrick Henry was seen as just a good running back during his first three seasons but saw his best two seasons alongside Smith. He recorded 2,293 rushing yards across his first three seasons in the NFL. His next two (2019 and 2020) saw him combine for 3,567 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns, becoming just the eighth player in NFL history to record over 2,000 rushing yards in a single season when he had 2,027 in 2019. 

Smith clearly knows how to work with running backs, as can be seen with Henry. The same is happening again with Patterson. After their 21-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in November, Smith was in high praise of Patterson.

“He’s a warrior. He’s a big physical presence that can do a lot for us.”

This was proved when he was listed as a back safety earlier this month.  It is a sign of a good coach when they can get the best out of a player and see their potential. Not even the greatest head coach of all time in Bill Belichick realised Patterson’s potential. Smith has taken a player seemingly on the wrong end of his career, to now being one of the best players this season. Some are even viewing him as an outside MVP candidate.

Patterson has a lot to thank Smith for. 

The post Is Cordarrelle Patterson Arthur Smith’s New Ryan Tannehill? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

As most of the NFL community knows by now, Julio Jones is more than likely going to be traded away from the Atlanta Falcons.  With that almost being a guarantee at this point, the Falcons are going to be in a scramble to grab another WR who can at least fill some of his production alongside Calvin Ridley.  Even with drafting Kyle Pitts, they could still use a true WR2. 

In this article, I will be going over my three potential WRs who are currently free agents that could most benefit the Falcons this season to fill the hole Julio leaves.

Golden Tate 

Veteran receiver Golden Tate is one of the larger free agents left in general right now, never mind one of the top free agent wide receivers out there still.  At 5’10” and 197 LBs, he relies heavily upon his speed and agility to make plays, as well as his proficient route running.  Last season he had a relatively down year with the Giants, putting up the following statline:

• 12 games played, 4 started
• 35 receptions on 52 targets (67.3% catch rate)
• 388 yards (11.1 per reception)
• 2 touchdowns, 11 first downs, 7.5 yards per target

Overall his efficiency as a receiver is what will make him a target.  Being able to average more than a first down per reception is pretty impressive considering he did not get a ton of playing time this season.  In his two years in New York he has had injury issues with his calf and hamstring, as well as suspensions which have since been cleared.  As long as he can stay healthy in 2021, he should have no issue being at the very least an extremely good slot option.

Danny Amendola

Another veteran receiver, however, this one slightly older at 36, we have Danny Amendola.  One of the better possession-oriented receivers in free agency right now, Amendola is extremely reliable as a pass catcher and can normally turn them around for some good YAC as well.  Last year he started 5 games, playing in 14 of which however.  In 2019 he started 10 of the 15 games he played in, which is much more impressive.

In his two seasons in Detroit, he put up 602 and 678 receiving yards, as well as a touchdown and boasting a 65.1% catch rate.  One of the more impressive stats of this season for Amendola is on his 46 receptions he had 13.1 yards per reception, which is pretty high up there considering he is not extremely fast anymore.  Overall he would be a great option for reliability in Atlanta if they more desire that route.

Isaiah Ford

Wrapping up the list we have a much younger option in Isaiah Ford, who spent his three seasons in the NFL so far with the Miami Dolphins.  He received pretty minimal playing time there, however in his playing time he made the most of it.  He put up the following stats in 2020:

• 1 game started (10 games played)
• 28 receptions on 44 targets (63.6% catch rate)
• 276 yards (9.9 per reception)
• 18 first downs, 6.3 yards per target

The main reason I added Ford to this list is because of his potential, at only 25 years old he still has time to develop.  If given a chance in a starting role, he could definitely produce at an above average level.

The post Potential WR replacements in free agency for Julio Jones appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Cody Molla

There are a few big name free agents left unsigned after the 2021 NFL Draft. Teams will be looking to add veterans to their team moving forward. One of those big names is Le’Veon Bell. Bell is a few years removed from posting elite numbers which made him the best back in the league from 2013-2017.

The Atlanta Falcons will need to replace 89% of their running back touches from the 2020 season. After being ranked 27^th in rushing yards per game last year with nearly 96 yards per game and only 13 rushing touchdowns the Falcons are letting go of Todd Gurley, Ito Smith, and Brian Hill.

An addition of Bell to the Falcons would help the running back group currently with the Falcons as well as give Bell a chance to prove he’s still got the talent to make plays and be productive.

At age 29 Bell is likely not the feature back he once was. As the NFL has moved to a multi-back system this is beneficial for Bell. He can be productive as a compliment. Bell has only played 26 games since 2017. He’s eclipsed over 1000 rushing yards in that span with five rushing touchdowns and chipped in a touchdown on 600 yards receiving.

Bell signed with the Chiefs midway through the season last year. At the time the Chiefs were Super Bowl favorites and the addition of Bell sent the league into fury. Bell struggled in his nine games as a Chief. It is with this recent play that leaves the jury undecided on his NFL future.

Earlier this week Falcons running back coach Desmond Kitchings reported that it’s an open competition for snaps going into the off season workouts. Kitchings is making his NFL coaching debut this season. He is joining the staff of new head coach Arthur Smith after coaching in the NCAA ranks since 2004.

Kitchings has been a running backs coach for most of his career. When coaching at NC State from 2016-2018 he had three straight 1000 yard rushers. One of those being Nyheim Hines who has been productive in his NFL career thus far. Earlier in his career, he worked with Zac Stacy at Vanderbilt. Stacy nearly rushed for 1000 yards in a season in his rookie year at the NFL level. Kitchings also lead a heavy run attack at Air Force in 2011, which averaged over 300 rushing yards per game.

Arthur Smith is coming from a team with a heavy run game led by bulldozer Derrick Henry. Smith is likely going to want to establish the run to set up plays for Matt Ryan and a talented group of pass catchers including Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and top draft pick Kyle Pitts.

The Falcons current running back situation is not glamorous. They added Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson via free agency. After not drafting a running back in the draft they signed undrafted players Javien Hawkins and Caleb Huntley. They also added Tony Brooks-James who has bounced around practice squads since 2019. The only returning Falcon in the running back room is Qadree Ollison who played 13 snaps in 2020.

Mike Davis is the favorite to be lead back in the offense. Davis is coming off a career year in which he filled in for McCaffrey for most of the season. Davis excelled in 2020. Davis surpassed 1000 all-purpose yards last season. Watching Davis last year the thing that stood out to me was the ability to extend plays and run through tackles. Davis can catch passes and make plays versus linebackers in the receiving game too. Even though Davis is likely to be the lead back he is not a feature back in the NFL.

The pairing of Bell and Davis could be a solid group for the Falcons. Both have similar abilities. This would add depth to the position and allow for the offense to be run all the time with no predictability pending the personnel.

The addition of Cordarrelle Patterson doesn’t impress or really add a true running back to the offense. Adding Bell would make him the lead complement back. Pattersons role is likely to be a return guy and see a handful of plays designed for him throughout the game. Patterson is still working on his transition from receiver to running back. Patterson has unique talent with size and speed that can produce homerun plays.

The other guys in the room will likely be on the outside looking in. The Falcons hope one can emerge similar to James Robinson for the Jaguars last year. A sleeper player and dark horse candidate to get offensive touches in the backfield is Avery Williams. Williams is a rookie CB drafted out of Boise St. Unknown to many Williams tied the NCAA record for return touchdowns in a career last season, with nine total. Six of those have come via punt including the record tying one.

The Falcons running back situation isn’t ideal and there is a need for another back. There is no way the Falcons go into the season with Patterson being the ideal running back two. Le’Veon Bell is a bit of a wildcard right now but his history has proven he is capable to be a playmaker and boost an offense. The ability to be patient and make guys miss in tight windows combined with his receiving skills makes him a fit for the Atlanta Falcons.

It would be wise for Bell to join the falcons as they have a lot of talent on offense. Teams will have a lot to cover and scheme for against a talented offense that can provide an opportunity to produce. The open competition means Bell could also win a starting job and see ample touches as the lead in a multi-back system. These opportunities combined with a staff that has shown the ability to generate a run game with many different players is a good fit for Bell. He can be acquired for a team friendly price and if he proves he still has it can set up the later part of his career in the NFL.  

The post Why The Falcons should sign RB Le’Veon Bell appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ladarius Brown

Now that the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books, franchises now have their players of the future in place. One of those franchises, the Atlanta Falcons, did just at pick No. 4, drafting Kyle Pitts of Florida. As I have mentioned in other pieces, this was the right call for two reasons. First, there is a strong likelihood that All-Pro WR Julio Jones could be traded after June 1st because of his high cap number ($23 million). Second, the Falcons will not pick up TE Hayden Hurst’s fifth-year option, thus inserting Pitts as the starter of the future.    

The reason why he has legitimate shot at the award is because of his new QB, Matt Ryan. Ryan has 10 seasons of at least 4,000 passing yards, good for 5th all-time. Ryan knows how to get the ball to his targets, doing so his whole career.    

Here is a list of players and year(s) that they had at one 1,000-yard receiver under Ryan in his 13-year career:   

WR Roddy White ”“ 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012   

WR Julio Jones ”“ 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019   

WR Harry Douglas ”“ 2013   

WR Calvin Ridley ”“ 2020   

Notice a pattern? Every year since Ryan has been the starting QB of the Falcons, there has been at least one player with 1,000 yards receiving. When you have almost 56,000 career passing yards and average 272 yards/gm, it might not be all that surprising. This is why I am very optimistic that Pitts’ chances at winning the award.   

Looking at the history of Ryan and TEs, there are only two that have been the most productive during his tenure. First, HOF’er Tony Gonzalez, one of the best to play the position, was Ryan’s No. 1 TE for five years (2009-2013). During his time in Atlanta, Gonzalez accumulated 409 receptions, 4,187 receiving yards, and 35 TDs.    

Austin Hooper, their 3rd round pick in 2016 out of Stanford, had a very solid career for the Falcons. In his four seasons (2016-2019), he had 214 receptions, 2,244 yards, and 16 TDs. While both Gonzalez and Hooper were great in their respective tenures for the Falcons but Pitts and his game fit how the position is being played now.   

The evolution of the TE was from players who typically played on the line of scrimmage only in a stance to being slot WRs and running the route tree as a WR. At Florida, Pitts was another WR in HC Dan Mullen’s offense. He played the position as a freshman in Gainsville. Pitts as well lined up in all of the receiver positions on the field.    

TEs have become just as much of a weapon/ best friend for a QB as a WR. A few examples: Patrick Mahomes has Travis Kelce, Tom Brady has Gronk, and Jimmy G (eventually Trey Lance) has George Kittle.   

How can Matt Ryan’s weapon/best friend Kyle Pitts elevate him back to that 2016 MVP status? First, let us examine Ryan’s MVP season. He had 4,944 passing yards, 38 TDs, and 7 Ints. Here is a positional breakdown by percentage of receiving yards that year:  

WRs not named Julio Jones ”“ 36.5% (1,817 yards)  

Julio Jones ”“ 28.5 % (1,409 yards)  

RBs ”“ 19.1% (944 yards)  

TEs ”“ 15.9% (788 yards)  

As you can see, RBs accounted for more receiving yards than TEs. Even more, RBs Devonta Freeman & Tevin Coleman had more yards receiving than every single TE on the roster in 2016.   

Pitts can fill this weak spot instantaneously. In 2016, five TEs caught passes from Ryan. Pitts had 43 receptions, 770 yards, and 12 TDs in his last season at Florida. If you integrate those stats into Ryan’s 2016 MVP season, Pitts would have been 4th in receptions, 2nd in yards, and 1st in TDs. Inserting Pitts’ stats in his last season at Florida with Ryan’s in 2016 while omitting the TEs and their stats that year, here’s the stat line: 4,926 yards, 40 TDs, and 7 Ints.  

As you can see, Ryan loses 18 yards but gets an additional 2 TDs if Pitts were there in 2016. Pitts would have accounted for 15.6% of Ryan’s passing yards all by himself. That is .4% less of all TEs in that MVP year. Ryan relied more on the RBs in 2016 than his TEs, which can be quite concerning.   

Now that Ryan has a legitimate playmaker at TE in Pitts, Ryan can get back into form. Most defenses use an LB to cover TEs but that would be a major mismatch for Pitts and an elite QB like Ryan will pick that apart. Pitts can cover the field more than any other TE Ryan has ever played with. Ryan has one, possibly two, MVP years left in him. If WR Calvin Ridley is the next Julio Jones combined with Pitts, Ryan is a legit MVP candidate.   

The post Could Matt Ryan get back to MVP form with Kyle Pitts? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The Atlanta Falcons had a disastrous 2020 season, with a gradual freefall since their heartbreaking Super Bowl 51 loss to the New England Patriots.

Just over four years on and the Falcons have a new head coach after Dan Quinn was fired during the 2020 season.

His replacement is Arthur Smith, who spent two seasons as the Tennesee Titans’ offensive coordinator. He oversaw the arrival and improvement of Ryan Tannehill, who won the Comeback Player Of The Year’ after an impressive 2019 season. Is Smith the man to turn Atlanta’s fortunes around?

The Offense He Will Inherit

Despite their 4-12 record in 2020, Atlanta still has a great offense.

Matt Ryan continues to go under the radar, with yet another 4,000-yard season in 2020. He threw for 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions but was sacked 41 times.

The offensive line was an issue for the Falcons, as was their run game.

Former Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley may have scored 9 touchdowns but only recorded 678 rushing yards. The Gurley experiment is over after just one season.

Former Carolina Panther Mike Davis, who had a breakout season in 2020 during Christian McCaffrey’s absence, will now take the role as the lead back in Atlanta unless Atlanta takes a running back during the draft.

Legendary wide receiver Julio Jones had a rare down year, with just three touchdowns and 771 receiving yards in 9 games during 2020. Calvin Ridley saw more progression in his NFL career by becoming the top Falcons receiver. He scored nine touchdowns and caught for 1,374 receiving yards.

Wideout Russell Gage (786) and tight end Hayden Hurst (571) both played their part when it comes to receiving yards recorded in 2020, combining for ten touchdowns between them.

It is not the offense that is the problem. With the Falcons’ struggles in defense, this is the issue for the Falcons and is one that Smith will need to address for the 2021 season and beyond.

Working On The Defense

The Falcons kept finding new ways to lose in 2020. This included Todd Gurley “accidentally” scoring a touchdown against the Lions.

Atlanta finished last in passing yards allowed (4,697), 18th in total points allowed (414) and 29th in total yards (6,374). Despite this, only five teams allowed fewer rushing yards in 2020 than the Falcons (1,677).

Linebackers Foyesade Oluokun and Deion Jones recorded over 100 tackles each. No Falcons player recorded more than 4.5 sacks. No defensive back had more than 3 interceptions and Oloukun recorded the most forced fumbles with 4.

This shows an issue all around. The Linebacker position seems to be the only area Falcons fans can be happy with, specifically Oloukun, who was Atlanta’s leader in tackles, sacks and forced fumbles.

Atlanta’s fourth overall pick appears too high for a defensive player unless they trade down.

There is bound to be a defensive stud available in the second round, should the Falcons stick with the number four pick. Securing multiple defensive players throughout the draft can go a long way to make Atlanta a threat on both sides of the ball.

The Power Of Their Fourth Overall Pick

Atlanta has the fourth overall pick. With this, they hold plenty of power. The 2021 Draft class is filled with several top quarterback prospects. It will be hard to see Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson available when the fourth pick is on the clock.

The San Francisco 49ers traded up to obtain the third overall pick. This almost guarantees that they will take a quarterback, especially with the 49ers openly talking up the idea of taking a QB at 3. Mac Jones appears to be the favorite but we could also see Justin Fields or Trey Lance.

Teams such as the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots have been rumored to want a quarterback in this year’s draft. It is not out of the question that the Chicago Bears or Washington Football team take a quarterback for the future.

Ryan is still putting up the numbers. As a result, it feels too soon to take a quarterback in the draft.

As previously mentioned, defense is the area that Atlanta needs the most in the draft. Most of the teams in the top 10 need offensive weapons, which means that the top defensive prospects will be still available. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots are two teams that seem the most likely to trade up.

Being an offensive-minded coach, Smith may want to add to the roster with a tight end prospect as good as Kyle Pitts. Otherwise, it is more than likely that the Falcons should trade down, collect draft capital and help a struggling defense.

The post Why Arthur Smith can turn the Falcons around appeared first on Pro Football Mania.