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Do y’all remember when Julio Jones re-broke his foot against the Jets during the 2013 season? I was crushed. We had such high hopes for the Falcons in 2013. They were coming off of a spectacular 2012, one with a 13-3 finish, a Divisional Round win against the Seahawks, and then a heartbreaking 28-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Surely 2013 would be the year this team could finally go the distance. Right? Right???
Unfortunately, we’re talking about the Atlanta Falcons, and the temporary screw that was used to repair Jones’ foot when he previously broke it basically exploded during that game against the Jets. Atlanta went on to finish the season 4-12, and obviously missed the postseason altogether. Jones’ injury isn’t the only reason, but it definitely was A reason.
I had obviously hoped this would be the season the Falcons would really put it all back together after several consecutive seasons of mediocrity, and while Michael Penix Jr. has been far from perfect this season, I’ve seen enough from him to feel confident he could be good with a competent offensive coordinator. When I found out the Falcons’ quarterback will have season-ending surgery to fully reconstruct his knee, I felt about as sad as I did when Julio landed on IR in 2013.
Obviously, “how confident are you in the direction of the Falcons” involves much more than Penix’s season-ending injury, but the injury does raise concerns long-term about his development and ability to stay healthy. That is not good given how much development he needs, and it’s pretty close to a worst-case scenario with a second-year quarterback who was drafted with the No. 8 pick. While Arthur Blank doesn’t seem inclined to move on from Zac Robinson or Raheem Morris, I know a LOT of fans disagree with him on that.
Oh, and let’s not forget that the Falcons have no first-round pick next season, even though I’d actually love to forget that right now because the Falcons are upsetting enough without factoring that into the mix. We’ll see if coaching or front office changes are made after the season, but if they are, I have concerns about what type of candidate for either head coach or GM would be willing to step into a situation where they’ve got no first-round pick to work with in Year 1.
I swear I am not trying to rig this vote; I’m just incredibly disappointed in how this season is going, and it’s making it hard for me to be optimistic about the future. Take our survey below, and if you disagree with me on any or all of that, tell me why in the comments.
