Flick's Forum: Falcons Vindicate Preseason Hype, Change Narrative vs. Packers

The Atlanta Falcons have young talent, veteran leadership and a culture built on fight ... and with a strong 2-0 start under their belt, are working towards changing the narrative that's haunted them for years.

Do you remember standing by the watercooler this summer, telling your co-workers about your confidence in the Atlanta Falcons?

Maybe it was in the office, or at a family reunion, or to somebody you've never met and likely never will but entered a brief conversation with on Twitter.

Do you remember that?

The response you were greeted with was likely a laugh or an eyeroll, or perhaps some type of "didn't you say this last year?" quip.

But now, two games in, the Falcons are starting to foster belief.

It started in Week 1, when Atlanta outscored the Carolina Panthers 14-0 in the first quarter to take a commanding 24-10 victory.

Then, this past Sunday, the Falcons followed suit with a dramatic 25-24 win over the Green Bay Packers in which they erased a 12-point fourth quarter deficit.

This is Atlanta's first 2-0 start since 2017, also its last season making the playoffs and holding a record above .500. This is the year the Falcons circled when Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot arrived in Jan. 2021, the third year of a three-year plan.

There was considerable buzz this offseason - maybe even from yourself at the watercooler - that is now being delivered, even if it hasn't all been pretty.

Context is important. The Falcons went 5-8 in one-score games last year. They've long been jabbed for their inability to finish games.

In order to shake the title of being just the "same old Falcons," winning close games is a necessity. Finishing, regardless of score, matches its significance.

And so far - again, a small sample size - Atlanta has accomplished exactly that, only fueling the fire that this year's team can take the Falcons back to the postseason for the first time in six years.

"It's huge," quarterback Desmond Ridder said of Sunday's comeback. "Obviously as a part of last season - I think it was (13) games we were in by one score, so to be able to come out here and finish and finish on top, that's huge for all of us.”

Added veteran left tackle Jake Matthews: “Last year we were in a lot of games (that) we just couldn’t pull it out in the end. Learning from mistakes and just how much team effort goes into this to do that this year and take the next step, makes the team better.”

The NFL is notorious for fielding close games; competitiveness in the name of the game, and quality of seasons often come down to performance in one-score contests. Atlanta's already off to a strong start in that category.

Smith and Fontenot have long talked about culture - last season, they mentioned how close the locker room was, which often kept the team together through a frustrating second half.

This summer, "tight knit" and "open minded" came up often with players. The difference, of course, is that the Falcons added significant talent in the spring, changing the complexion of the locker room's on-field capabilities.

Prior to free agency, Fontenot stressed the need to find the right people, first and foremost, before adding the correct players. That process is complicated - just look at how many teams miss each year - but the Falcons appear to have hit both on and off the field, a great reflection on Atlanta's front office.

There's proven quality in the free agency adds; safety Jessie Bates III starred in Week 1, creating three takeaways and single-handedly changing the course of that game. Linebacker Kaden Elliss leads the team in tackles with 15. Defensive linemen Calais Campbell, Bud Dupree and David Onyemata have provided pressure and leadership up front.

The meshing process has been smooth - in large part because of the common goal of doing whatever it takes to win. The culture Smith and Fontenot wanted to bring in has been established - and given its biggest test thus far in the fourth quarter Sunday, proved to be legitimate.

“We’re fighters," Elliss said. "You put in all the work (in the) offseason and everything going up in training camp, all of that. To go out and be able to finish a game and be able to execute like that at the end of the game shows you that there is some fight in this team."

It starts with Ridder, who shook off an early interception and difficult first half to finish with a career-high 237 passing yards while leading four consecutive scoring drives to close out the win.

On the sideline, the second-year quarterback brings consistent positivity and an unwavering commitment to winning that permeates throughout his team. Smith dubbed him a winner while Matthews pointed out that his leadership generated confidence inside the huddle.

Teams often take on the personality of their coach and quarterback - and Smith said that Ridder embodies the entire roster.

Under-recruited and over-looked out of both high school and college despite being a high-level winner, Ridder continues to improve his stock in Atlanta while lifting the organization up with him.

The Falcons' identity continues to emerge - they're a hard-nosed, smash-mouth football team with a lot of young talent, several veteran leaders and a quarterback who simply refuses to quit.

“Never down for the count," Ridder said. "When you see the Atlanta Falcons out there, we'll never be down for the count. We're going to fight until that clock hits zero. That's why I'm proud of this team and everyone on this team for not giving up.”

In year's past, comments like this were met with skepticism - but when you overcome second-half deficits twice in as many weeks, there's real reason to believe in what's being said.

Of course, the consensus this time of year is that it's still too early to really tell. That said, the Falcons' offseason hype has, for the most part, matched up with what those inside the building expected.

Atlanta has outscored its opponents 27-0 in the fourth quarter through two weeks, a direct result of the increased depth added this offseason and competitive environment that Smith and staff have created.

It's the middle of September; it is absolutely early ... but the Falcons feel like a team with direction, and being 2-0 with lots of room to grow is where everyone hoped to be at this stage.

"There’s still more to learn about this team, there’s still more growth to happen and that is going to continue to be vital all the way through our season continuing to grow week to week," Elliss said. "But at the end of the day, right now, where we’re at, we’re fighters and we are going to continue to go out and give you everything we got.”

Sunday was the Falcons' first time overcoming a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to win since Week 2 of 2015; it's been eight years.

In that period, the number of times they've been on the other end of such a win feels too high to count. This has, rightfully, created the narrative that Atlanta can't finish.

But this year's Falcons set out to prove a point this spring: they're not the same team as years past. It's a different squad with new energy and a sense of confidence that they belong.

So, sure, it's early ... but so far, the Falcons haven't been some fairy tale; they're simply living up to the standard they knew they could reach, changing that narrative one week and one dominating fourth quarter at a time.

“I’ve been saying it since I first signed here, I wanted to be a part of something special, and we got special guys in here at every level," Bates said. "At every level, you’ve got leaders and people that have experience that want to be winners.

“This city deserves to be winners so we’re just excited to be a part of something special."

And that, by all accounts, makes for quite the topic of discussion at the watercooler on Monday morning.