ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 02: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after their 48-33 over the Carolina Panthers at Georgia Dome on October 2, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
NFLBy Chase Ruttig on

At the turn of the decade, the Atlanta Falcons were an annual contender in the NFC.

With Matt Ryan leading the way at quarterback, they made three straight trips to the playoffs, capturing two NFC South division titles from 2010-2012 under head coach Mike Smith. And if it weren’t for one bad half of football, they may have made a Super Bowl appearance as well.

Things fell apart quickly for the Falcons after that loss to San Francisco in the 2012 NFC Championship Game. Back to back losing seasons signaled the end for Smith as head coach, but new head coach Dan Quinn couldn’t lead the Falcons to anything better than an 8-8 finish in his debut season last year. An improvement over the prior years for the Falcons, but still a far cry from the 33-12 regular season record from the three peak years of Ryan’s career in Atlanta.

So far, 2016 has been another step forward, with Ryan and the rest of the team putting their past struggles behind them behind a mix of new faces and leaders still left from that successful 2012 team.

After big wins on the road against the Oakland Raiders and on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints, the Falcons returned to the Georgia Dome on Sunday for a highly-anticipated NFC South test against Cam Newton and the reigning conference champion Carolina Panthers.

And it wasn’t even close.

The Falcons made a clear statement of intent against the Panthers, blowing Carolina out of the dome in a 48-33 victory. That came mostly thanks to a vintage performance from Ryan, who had one of the best games of his career on Sunday against a Panthers defense considered one of the best in the league. He threw it all over the field, widening the gap to the point that even a wild, Derek Anderson-led comeback bid was never going to be enough.

Ryan connected with Julio Jones early and often, leading to career numbers for both. Ryan broke the 500-yard passing mark with four touchdowns while Jones had 300 yards receiving on 12 catches. Behind those two leaders, the Falcons may be able to turn the NFC South into a two team race with the Panthers, as they’ve already racked up two divisional wins.

Those division wins don’t include an equally impressive Week 2 win on the road against the Oakland Raiders that has the Falcons at 3-1 and rolling. A scary sight for the Panthers, who are suddenly staring at 1-3 and are chasing the division at the quarter mark of the regular season.

An early foothold in the division, along with three strong games from Ryan (each with over 300 yards passing), make the Falcons seem like the team to beat.

They haven’t played perfect football, of course. Their defense has allowed 31 points per game over this stretch. Their dynamic offense has managed to cover up any defensive lapses so far, and if it keeps producing like it did Sunday, it might just be able to do so all season long.

The next two weeks will give us more of an indication of where the Falcons rank among the top teams in the NFL, as they travel to Denver and Seattle to face two of the best teams (and defenses) in the league. And if any team should recognize how quickly early success can fade, it’s Atlanta; last year the Falcons fell from 5-0 to 8-8. And with the defense not exactly shutting down opponents, there’s big pressure on Ryan and Jones to continue to lead the way.

For now, though, the Falcons should at least be considered contenders for their first playoff berth since 2012. They should be especially enthusiastic about Matt Ryan returning to form. When paired with the electric Julio Jones, the Falcons are at the very least an incredibly entertaining team. Whether that entertainment value will translate to wins remains to be seen, but there are certainly worse things than being 2016’s must-watch team.

About Chase Ruttig

Chase Ruttig is a Canadian sportswriter who covers North American sports for various outlets.

View all posts by Chase Ruttig