SI’s Peter King looks at the Falcons and sees mediocrity
Mike Smith reacts to news that his team is the 16th-best. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Perhaps you noted during minicamp that Matt Ryan said to the world’s worst journalist — that’d be me — that he believes the Falcons are “a lot closer to 12 or 13 wins than to eight.” Twelve or 13 wins would make this a really good team. The esteemed Peter King of SI.com, however, regards it differently.
In his newest power rankings, Mr. King ranks the Falcons 16th in a 32-team league, which would be the utter definition of mediocrity. He also sees the Falcons as the third-best team in the four-team NFC South, behind both New Orleans (No. 5) and Carolina (No. 8).
That’s correct. He has the Panthers, who historically are the NFL most’s overrated bunch, eight spots ahead of the Falcons. Mr. King believes dumping Jake Delhomme and will propel Carolina onward and upward, which it might. But still: A team with an unproven quarterback (Matt Moore) and a potential lame duck of a head coach (John Fox) is going to jump above the Falcons, who with all their injuries still finished a game ahead of the Panthers in 2009?
(Oh, yes. One thing more. Julius Peppers no longer plays for Carolina.)
Enough. The point here isn’t to argue with the esteemed PK but to note his reasons for not loving the Falcons. Quoth Mr. King:
The Falcons are healthier, and better. I just think there are two teams in the division better right now — unless Matt Ryan has a Drew Brees-type year. I don’t think he has one of those in him … yet. Not many quarterbacks do.
OK, a bit more quibbling (sorry, can’t resist): The whole point of the Falcons’ offseason — signing Dunta Robinson, drafting Sean Weatherspoon — was to upgrade the defense to the extent the Falcons don’t have to score 30 points a game to win. And I can’t understand how Carolina minus Peppers is a more enticing team than the Falcons plus Robinson.
But reasonable folks can, I submit, disagree reasonably. And I guess that’s what I’m doing here. Because I think the 2010 Falcons will be really, really good. Division-winning good.
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226 comments Add your comment
JMar
May 17th, 2010
1:22 pm
This team has a schedule reminiscent of Georgia Tech 2009 – all the best teams are home games, and three of the top teams from last year (Philly, Arizona, and Pittsburgh) are coming in with backup QBs. This sets them up for 13 win potential, even though they’re closer to 10-win good.
SeenThisB4
May 17th, 2010
1:23 pm
No, they catch their buzz during the games.
extremus
May 17th, 2010
1:23 pm
@ JMar,
Almost reminds you of the Saint’s schedule last season, doesn’t it? Hmmm…
JSS
May 17th, 2010
1:23 pm
Are the Falcons still trying to sell season tickets? You people keep jumping on pundits for saying what most of you are saying with your spending dollars… Until that Dome is sold out each week by non corporate dollars, the Falcons and their fans are mediocre… The Falcons have more “if” than anyone in this division except Carolina. Remember, Carolina will still be running the ball down peoples throats, just like the Falcons did in ‘08. They’ll protect Moore or Clausen like Atlanta did for Ryan. On the other hand, the Falcons are a known quantity in terms of this one thing: Matt Ryan. Stop the Atlanta running game and take your chances with him beating you. The league seems to like that bet. They’ll hover where they have been except for one bizarre season in 07 between 7 to 11 wins, certainly not 13 wins…
MightyQuinn
May 17th, 2010
1:24 pm
All preseason predictions are based on the SWAG method, a time honored tradition that most physicians, physicists and sports writers depend mightily upon. Thats: Scientific Wild-Ass Guessing.
Keary
May 17th, 2010
1:25 pm
Anyone ripping King is a moron. If you actually read his MMQB articles you would know the guy understands subtleties of football and especially the NFL that most of you will never grasp. He is entitled to his opinion. The reality is that his opinion is based on years of knowledge and access to pretty much anyone in the league, while most of the people on here have opinions based on homerism.
Sid
May 17th, 2010
1:26 pm
Peter who?
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
May 17th, 2010
1:27 pm
“And they have a head coach that isn’t afraid to rip a win out of the jaws of defeat.”
Narcotics are known to increase bravado in some people…
SeenThisB4
May 17th, 2010
1:29 pm
Atlanta is better than Carolina, no argument. This is a two horse race for the division. Saints and Atlanta. But the Saints have the competitive edge right now on offense. Atlanta has an advantage on defense. Saints get the special teams edge. And Coaching edge.
MississippiDawg
May 17th, 2010
1:30 pm
They won’t fly under the radar nor be under-rated as some have suggested. The schedule is much easier and the roster improved. While this is one writers opinion, I heard an ESPN radio analyst pick the Falcons to go to the Super Bowl. Safe bet they win 10-12.
SeenThisB4
May 17th, 2010
1:31 pm
“Narcotics are known to increase bravado in some people…”
Then Mike Smith needs a truck load of them fast.
mudcat
May 17th, 2010
1:32 pm
I hope Mr. King enjoys eating crow come January.
extremus
May 17th, 2010
1:34 pm
@JSS,
I haven’t yet been able to attend a Falcons game as I live in Tennessee, but I read an article (I forget, it was either SI or ESPN.com) the other day that said the problem of declining attendance at NFL games is by no means limited to Atlanta. I don’t know what the Falcons charge for seats, but if it’s close to the Jets’ new stadium, where the average upper-level seat at the endzone goes for upwards of $90 (not including concessions), one can see, especially in this economy, why more and more non-corporate, everyday folks are staying home and watching the games on their television. The article did in fact mention the advent of HDTVs and the ability to follow every game now as major reasons some people are more willing to take the plunge in a $2,000 set for the long-term as opposed to the $500 or so it might take for a family of four to go TO A SINGLE NFL GAME. You know what? I can’t honestly blame them. Sadly, it looks like pro sports stadiums are getting to the point where they are becoming more and more the venue of the rich and well-off. Shouldn’t be that way in America.
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
May 17th, 2010
1:34 pm
these rankings are bogus- seeing how camps have not really started yet. I’m sure by June/July- he’ll have the Falcons a lot higher.
Andy
May 17th, 2010
1:35 pm
This whole idea of ranking NFL teams is silly and meaningless. I think the Falcons will be better than Carolina, not so sure about the Saints unless they take a big step backwards. Atlanta should be in the playoffs next season and we’ll just have to see how far they make it. It always comes down to the matchups.
How2fish
May 17th, 2010
1:36 pm
Joey
May 17th, 2010
11:35 am
That Peter King ……. he’s no Mark Bradley! And I knew Mark Bradley !
Joey funny there but you could have even gone farther with it..
That Peter King ……. he’s no Mark Bradley! And I knew Mark Bradley !
Mr. Turnip-Green Jeans
May 17th, 2010
1:36 pm
If this drug thing leads, in any way, to Payton, he’ll no longer be coaching the Saints. Period.
SeenThisB4
May 17th, 2010
1:40 pm
“If this drug thing leads, in any way, to Payton, he’ll no longer be coaching the Saints. Period.”
Uh-huh, don’t bank on it.
mr
May 17th, 2010
1:43 pm
I really dont understand all the hype around Matt Ryan .The first year was a fluke I watched this guy make horrible passes over and over again and get rescued by great catches by Roddy White .He forces the ball stares down receivers and thows way to many picks.He has been the beneficiary of great recieving from White and Gonzalez.His picks have gone up and the longer hes in the league they will get worse.The defenses he will face this year will eat him alive 8-8 wait and see!!!
Tea Party Protest Sign Spell Chequer
May 17th, 2010
1:48 pm
He is a MORAN.
Falcon Devil
May 17th, 2010
1:55 pm
Peter King has the Seahawks as the 10th best team in the NFL. He also had the Falcons selecting Taylor Mays as first draft pick even though it’s one of the least positions of need on the team. He also had the Chicago Bears winning the superbowl last year. He also had the Saints ranked 24th last year. Dude isn’t even worth reading, I stopped halfway through the article because it’s complete crap. Honestly I think my sister could rank the teams more accurately based on the current available information.
David Smith
May 17th, 2010
1:56 pm
Peter King’s comments are typical of any sportswriter who comments on a team they don’t really know about. His views are biased (Although he did give us props for drafting Matt Ryan) and the best are usually reserved for a hand full of teams (Indy, New England, Saints, and Dallas). That is why Brian Baldinger is one of my favorite broadcasters because he knows our team (He has covered us extensively for the past three years on 11 alive) and his opinions are honest (The same can’t be said of Mr. King and other homer reporters).
JSS
May 17th, 2010
2:06 pm
@Extremus…
Most expensive single seat for a full season is $1500, the least is $290… By the way, Atlanta has more single men between the ages of 21 to 55 than city besides Chicago with a income over $30,000. It says a lot when sports franchises have trouble drawing in that type of environment…
CURLY
May 17th, 2010
2:07 pm
Peter King picked the Jets #16 last year,
and they ended up in the AFC Championship game.
What does he know ?
Peter
May 17th, 2010
2:11 pm
Hey Mark……..Didn’t Peter King have the Falcon’s winning 2-3 games two years ago ?
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
2:20 pm
Has Peter King ever been wrong before?
T.Hill
May 17th, 2010
2:21 pm
MB, I see you’re trying to stop this train of insults you started by printing this article. If you say someone says something bad about my family, i’m going to say something bad about that person. PK is probably a good guy, but as you pointed out he is dead wrong on this pick and it has upset the falcon fans on the page. Please let us VENT in peace!!!!!! lol
Sid
May 17th, 2010
2:24 pm
@mr
What was a fluke about Ryan’s first year? Of course, it is difficult to discern what you are saying what with the absence of punctuation. The longer he is in the league? Lol, my god man, he has only been in the NFL 2 years. You say Roddy White made great catches and he did. But he also dropped a few (as did others) that my grandmother could have caught (God rest her soul). Anyway, QB ratings are a wonderful thing, all the greats have had years in the 80’s. But the intangible is the ability to lead a team, something Vick, Delhomme, Quinn will never have. I would have added Jamarcus Russell and Byron Leftwich but heck, it’s not that they can’t lead a team, it’s just they can’t play football period.
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
2:24 pm
mr @1:43pm……Was Drew Brees a beneficary of great receiving last year?
Does that mean he is over hyped?
Tea Party Protest Sign Spell Chequer
May 17th, 2010
2:24 pm
Peter King doesnt no nothing bout Flacons football.
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
2:27 pm
I have the Falcons winning the Superbowl in my rankings.
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
2:28 pm
The Saints aren’t going to be getting all the generous calls, from the Refs this year.
jayjay
May 17th, 2010
2:30 pm
if you look at the charlotteobserver.com you see even the panther fans see PK ranking too high. no one in carolina is expecting wildcard going into the season. improved, yes.
Vick=Dog killing thug
May 17th, 2010
2:31 pm
I’m also worried about Matt Ryan. Let’s hope Matty Ice returns to his rookie form and shows us that he’s a big time player and able to lead the birds for the next 8-10 years?
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
2:35 pm
When you get paid to write about something, you write. If you write for SI it really doesn’t matter what you put down, as long as you have the required number of words.
e
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
2:39 pm
I’m not worried about Ryan. If I was going to worry about something, I’d worry about the OF line.
If they can give him a couple of more seconds to let the plays develope, Matt can deliver the ball.
Tea Party Protest Sign Spell Chequer
May 17th, 2010
2:42 pm
Bouycott SI now!
J-Three
May 17th, 2010
2:57 pm
I’ll believe the Falcons will do something meaningful if they can beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Big game or not, home or away, our birds can’t ever seem to top theirs. And what scheduling quirk seemingly always has Atlanta playing Philly, anyway?
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
3:01 pm
By the way Mark B. @ 11:50am….I don’t think calling a dummy, a dummy, is an ad hominen attack.
Reid Adair
May 17th, 2010
3:01 pm
I find the “explanation” for Peter King’s ranking to be insufficient. I also see no plausible explanation for having the Falcons ranked behind th Carolina Panthers.
Peter King is MORON
May 17th, 2010
3:02 pm
He is hack that writes about Brent Favre every week. What does that tell ya…
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
3:02 pm
The Eagles and the Falcons both finished 2nd in their divisions last year is the reason that they are playing this year.
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
3:06 pm
The South played the East in the NFC, last year.
SHO-NUFF
May 17th, 2010
3:07 pm
2008 season?
Yurtle_the_turtle
May 17th, 2010
3:10 pm
I have the Falcons going to the NFC Championship game in my rankings and the city of New Orleans will whine they deserve another SuperBowl because they had a hurricane come through their city 5 years ago.
PKs coffeenerdness
May 17th, 2010
3:10 pm
Im picking on PK, bc I have read his column and the multiple inconsistencies in it. Its unreal that he has a job.
PDK852
May 17th, 2010
3:11 pm
Just read King’s entire rankings. Just as he qualified in the intro, I found them silly at best. I won’t belabor the point on Carolina at #8, and Falcons at #16. However, he also had Seattle ranked at #11, which may be an even more egregious example of flawed — if not total absence of — logic. I like the Seahawks nearly as much as the Falcons (lived in Seattle for many years) but even I think that’s an outlandish prediction.
SirReal
May 17th, 2010
3:20 pm
Mark, I wont rip Mr. King. He has a right to his own opinion. I will disagree as well though. I just get tried of people defaulting CAR over us. They’ve done nothing significant since getting defeated by NE YEARS ago. (ok, they’ve made the playoffs a few times but thats it.) They’ve lost good players and some are still hurt.I think this prediction of his will be wrong. I see a 10-6 team here at the very least. EVERY game against the AFC North will be a battle, CLE included. People forgot what happened last time the Birds overlooked CLE. The NFC West wont be as brutal but they are still good teams. I dont see CAR fairing as well against the likes of ARZ, SF, CIN, PIT, and most importantly ATL!
houstondawg
May 17th, 2010
3:22 pm
This team is scarily looking like how the Patriots were building up in the late 90’s. I am pretty sure we get a shot a the big game within the next years. I really dont see the Saints doing anywhere close to what they were doing last year. Now all of their hard games are on the road in hostile environments, Get a taste of that Saints fans and don;t forget I told you so at the end of the season.
Marcos
May 17th, 2010
3:27 pm
Why is this prick writing for si anyway carolina ahead of atlanta he must been stoned to say that i hope he ate all his words right up his ass go falcon lets fly and fly high 12-4