Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot have positioned the Atlanta Falcons to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, but is it playoff or bust for this team? Expectations are higher than ever for this regime and fans have showed the excitement that’s building with its overwhelming attendance at Training Camp.
Abe Gordon discussed those expectations on Sunday morning and what this season could ultimately come down to.
“What is success this year?” Abe asked. “Is your expectation, playoffs? I mean, that's where we're at.”
He goes on to explain that this just seems to be the consistent overarching themes to this offseason in Atlanta. After spending $217 million in free agency, Terry Fontenot has the Falcons in position to contend for the NFC South crown in 2023.
“I don't want to speak for anyone, but I think that's what we're looking at here,” Abe continued. “And it feels almost unfair for Terry Fontenot because there are two ways to judge the job that he did this offseason. Like he said this felt like his first offseason, his first chance to really make some of the additions and changes that he would have liked to have made. And a lot of that obviously came on the defensive side of the ball.”
The Falcons have expectations for the first time under Arthur Smith’s tenure, and its ultimate determining factor -- fair or not -- will come down the play of its quarterback.
“Ultimately, the success of the Atlanta Falcons -- and I don't have any other way to view it --because whether the pass rush is better or not will be determined but the success of the Atlanta Falcons ultimately is going to come down to how good or not good Desmond Ridder is,” Abe said about the team’s lynchpin. “It's almost unfair to judge Terry Fontenot solely by that because I do think there is a world in which the additions Terry Fontenot decided to make will play themselves out and things still aren't impressive, but he's going to be judged just on what Ridder does.”