Flick's Forum: Falcons Show Promise, Room for Growth vs. Panthers

The Atlanta Falcons have flaws - but they also have heart and a group of coaches and players who are filled with belief in what's to come.

Finish.

It's long been the task at the root of the Atlanta Falcons' dismay.

Just consider last season, when the Falcons neared a league record for one-score games played but went only 5-8, or the frequent heartbreak headlined by a that Super Bowl defeat.

But Atlanta believes this season - this team - is different ... and so far, it already is.

In Week 1 of last year, the Falcons had a 26-10 fourth quarter lead on the New Orleans Saints. They gave it up, suffering a crushing 27-26 defeat.

This year, tied at 10 with the Carolina Panthers entering the fourth quarter of Sunday's opener inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta surged, claiming a 24-10 win over its NFC South counterpart.

"Last year we were up, and we didn't finish," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. "This year, a little different mindset. The guys made plays. That's a physical group and a well-conditioned group.”

Smith used the example of right tackle Kaleb McGary, who had a difficult outing while allowing Panthers outside linebacker Brian Burns to record one and a half sacks.

But McGary didn't back down. Instead, he adjusted and battled through it, and Smith believes his $34.5 million lineman ultimately wore Burns down.

This idea of the Falcons outlasting the Panthers was mentioned multiple times by Smith and serves as an indication of just how deep this year's team may be.

As Smith said, Atlanta's physical and well-conditioned ... throughout the entire roster.

With the win, the Falcons now stand above .500 not only for the first time under Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot, but since the conclusion of the 2017 season.

This was the expectation for Year 3 of the Smith-Fontenot regime; deeper wallets this spring should lead to a deeper team on the field, one that properly reflects the identity they're trying to accomplish.

Did the Falcons look like they were humming on all cylinders? Far from it - but unlike years past, they still won ... by a considerable margin. That's what good teams need to be able to do.

We're still figuring out whether the Falcons are truly "good" - but there's little doubt in the building about the quality of Sunday's win and the coachability of this team.

"I think it was overall a great team win," Smith said. "The way we're built, we're able to adapt and we’re able to play as a team. When you get a win like that, you're not behind the count. We’ll never apologize for winning. We know we've got a lot of work, (but) guys made big plays in the end."

Smith singled out adapted rush plans as one of the biggest in-game adjustments the coaching staff made, and it evidently worked quite well.

In the first half, the Falcons hit Panthers quarterback Bryce Young only two times. By game's end, that number was seven - along with two sacks, both coming on third down.

The underlying takeaway from this development is the cohesion of Atlanta's coaches and trust with which the players have in them, Smith argued, adding he's glad he gets to work this group of individuals.

The Falcons' staff illustrated "great communication," per Smith, be it offensive, defensive or special teams, and enabled the team to pivot when needed on Sunday.

"When you've got a good staff and smart players, that's how you make those adjustments," Smith said. "When you’ve got a good staff, it should go in sync. We certainly wanted to throw it a little bit more in the first half. Didn’t go very well. So, you pivot and you play the situations, but you can’t do that if you don’t have the right people.

"Certainly, that gives us a chance every week because of the way we’re built.”

The Falcons concluded last season looking to build off a 7-10 season in which they had the league's second-youngest team and a plethora of cap space.

Entering this offseason, the idea was to build a contender - maybe not overnight, but there needed to be clear progress. The result was the addition of several key players to both sides of the ball, many of whom made their presence felt in the season opener.

Just look at safety Jessie Bates III, who recorded 10 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble, or defensive tackle David Onyemata, who racked up two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.

There's also linebacker Kaden Elliss making nine tackles in his team debut, defensive lineman Calais Campbell logging a tackle and forcing pressure multiple times and outside linebacker Bud Dupree coming up with three tackles and aiding in a sack by forcing Young to step up.

Throw in cornerback Tre Flowers, and the Falcons officially started six newcomers on defense.

There were trying times, but the end result showed optimism - Atlanta allowed only two conversions on Carolina's eight third down tries in the second half. The Panthers averaged just 3.9 yards per play. Young was held to 148 yards and a touchdown while completing only 20 of 38 passes.

The Falcons' defense took over late, and defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's energy and passion was apparent. It was largely a tremendous opening act for Nielsen and the new faces around him - and there's still plenty more to come.

“We're going to get better," Campbell said. "It’s just the beginning. There's definitely some stuff where we're trying to feel each other out a little bit, and that's just part of it. You can do it in practice, but in the game, it's a whole different environment, but it was fun.

"I think that we definitely have a good group that meshes well together, we talk through things, we're smart, and continue to get better.”

Campbell is entering his 16th season as a professional. He knows a thing or two because he's seen a thing or two. When he talks, people listen. His belief shouldn't go unnoticed.

The same is true for Bates, whose three takeaways led to 17 points for Atlanta's offense. As a member of the Cincinnati Bengals during the last five years, the 26-year-old has been a part of two deep playoff runs, including coming up just short in the Super Bowl two years ago.

Bates was voted as one of five team captains for the Falcons just six months after signing a four-year, $64 million contract this spring that made him the fourth highest-paid safety in the league.

But Bates wants more.

He came to Atlanta intent on changing the culture and has brought a one-week mentality to the team, dubbing Sunday's win "huge" while emphasizing the need to refocus this week with the Green Bay Packers coming to town on Sept. 17.

After his career performance and declarative Falcons debut, Bates gave credit elsewhere, noting Dupree's ability to force Young in the pocket and the cover skills of Terrell and Flowers as keys to his strong day.

Reflect on that idea and realize that three of those four players weren't in Atlanta last year. There's a new caliber of defense being played by the Falcons ... and Bates, like Campbell, thinks the opening act was just that - an introduction to brighter days.

"When I first got here, I knew that we could do something special, and this is just the beginning of it," Bates said. "Today was my day to make some plays and hopefully next week I can do the same thing, but there might be a couple days where Richie (Grant) can have two interceptions so it’s just doing our one through eleven. That’s what we've been preaching.”

Where the Falcons go from their 1-0 start is anybody's guess. By Tuesday morning, half the league will be in a similar spot. Atlanta's team remains flawed - consider the offensive line's four sacks allowed, the passing game's inability to get rolling and the difficulties rushing the passer for most of Sunday's game.

But unlike years past, the Falcons overcame those woes and earned a divisional win ... by 14 points. The margin of victory is Atlanta's largest in Week 1 since 2012.

There's a level of depth, physicality and belief that hasn't been there previously. Every team enters games expecting to win, but the NFL is centered around how you respond when things aren't going your way - and Atlanta proved it's more than up for that challenge.

"You can see the mental resolve," Smith said. "That's how you win games like that as a team.”

The Falcons, as Smith and others noted several times postgame, have plenty of work to do - but it's much better to do so after a double-digit victory than a loss.

And perhaps most importantly, this is only the beginning - ask Smith, Campbell or Bates. Optimism is high. The ingredients are there. The Falcons believe.

Now, they just have to finish.