​Training camp for the Atlanta Falcons is set to open in 18 days, signaling the start of a new era for the franchise. On the surface, the team may look the same when they take the field, but the organization has undergone a dramatic leadership overhaul this offseason. Atlanta has installed a new head coach, a new general manager, and a new President of Football Operations in Matt Ryan, who appears to have the final say on all football-related matters. The elevator pitch for the Falcons is that they possess nearly all the pieces necessary to contend—except for the one piece that matters most: a capable and proven starting quarterback.
Even without that crucial last piece, this team deserves more respect than it has received this offseason. A recent example comes from Bleacher Report, which places the Falcons at No. 27 in their pre-training camp power rankings. The article notes that the Falcons boast a terrific group of skill players led by Bijan Robinson, and their defense—ranked 15th overall last season—has legitimate playmakers. However, Atlanta enters training camp with what is described as the fourth-worst quarterback situation, at least until shown otherwise. The piece argues that Atlanta has a playoff-caliber roster, and the new head coach Kevin Stefanski has demonstrated an ability to deliver a playoff berth when he has a legitimate starter behind center. The expectation is that the potential competition between former first-round picks Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa could produce a legitimate starter.
Praising a “terrific skill group” and a “playoff-caliber roster” is not typically associated with teams ranked this low in power rankings, especially when paired with an acclaimed new head coach at the helm. Nobody is claiming that the Falcons should be among the league’s top-10 teams, or even that they are guaranteed a playoff spot in a relatively weak division. Still, it is hard to swallow that Atlanta should be lumped in with the league’s bottom-dwellers, such as the Giants, Titans, Jets, Browns, and Dolphins.
At a minimum, the Falcons should be ranked higher than the Raiders, Commanders, Saints, Colts, and Vikings. A more realistic position might place them around No. 21 in these rankings. Nevertheless, this perceived slight is unlikely to dissipate until Atlanta solves its quarterback issue—the root cause of their problems and the basis for the misperceptions about how strong this roster truly is.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire.