Atlanta wasted Matt Ryan's window by not providing him with a good coordinator, consistent offensive line or defense that could keep the team from having to outscore the opponent. This season is the first time in his career when I blame him for the team's poor performance. He's been holding onto the ball way too long and taking sacks. He's afraid to pull the trigger and in his best years, his confidence was his strongest attribute. It would be hard to argue that he's a hall of famer based on the fact that he was seldom considered a top-7 QB but people are going to be shocked to find out that he's statistically top 5-10 in nearly every QB statistical category that matters. I'm not sure if that makes him good but not great or great but not good. Regardless:


Julio is my second-favorite all-time Falcons player but he's had an infuriating history of untimely drops. I love the fact that for the past 10 years, every conversation of who ranks as the best NFL receivers had people comparing others to him [[even though the other two seem to change year after year). Hiring Dirk Koetter as OC was a huge mistake, especially when he was tasked with adapting Kyle Shanahan's playbook. Dan Quinn forgot to look at his situation objectively and his lack of clear vision led to horrible decisions, primarily concerning his offense.

I'm betting Atlanta drafts a new quarterback next year. Ryan's contract won't allow us to cut or trade him next season but that doesn't mean his replacement won't be ready and in place for 2022. I wouldn't be surprised if this is Julio's last season in the Dirty South. He's missed 2-3 games every season with nagging injuries and held out two years ago. They're going to hire a new GM and I'm pretty sure he'll scrutinize the value of all assets very carefully and at this point, Julio and Matt's contracts are producing diminishing returns.