Just so we're clear, the Atlanta Falcons aren't a completely good football team. And the New Orleans Saints team they defeated 45-32 Monday night is far from good on the defense. In fact, that D might be the worst in football.So by no means did the Falcons declare themselves Super Bowl contenders in Week 3. But Atlanta now has the league's highest-scoring offense, the league's highest-rated passer, and a one-two punch at running back that has Atlanta ranked fifth in football on the ground.They've scored at least 24 points in all three games they've played. And as long as the offense can continue to click in that fashion, the NFC South-leading Falcons will have a chance to retain that title for a lot longer than most pundits expected.Of course, we all knew prior to the season that quarterback Matt Ryan had the ability to light up defenses, especially bad ones. And there were indications last year thatDevonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman could become a top-notch duo in the backfield. The Falcons ranked seventh in the league in total offense in 2015, with Ryan completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,591 yards and Freeman and Coleman combining for 1,448 yards and 15 touchdowns.Throw in All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones and you have yourself a high-powered attack.But on Monday, the Falcons did something they failed to do in 12 of their 16 games last seasonsomething they weren't able to accomplish even once after Week 9 in 2015.They put together a turnover-free performance. And it was actually the second time in three weeks to start the year.Only four offenses turned the ball over more than the dangerous-but-sloppy Falcons last season, but three weeks into the 2016 campaign they're one of just five teams with no more than a single turnover.Early this season, a Falcons team that underachieved greatly the last two years hasn't been beating itself. And while, again, the 0-3 Saints have a weak defense, it's important to remember that Atlanta turned the ball over five times in a pair of losses to a Saints team that was historically bad on defense in 2015.I won't lie and say I wasn't waiting for it. I won't pretend I didn't anticipate a classic second-half Falcons meltdown Monday night. Sure, they led by three scores when Coleman cashed in his third touchdown of the game early in the third quarter, but this is a team that committed 18 of its 30 turnovers last season in the second half. Eleven of those came in one-score games, and 10 of them came in the fourth quarter.Of course, it feels odd having to applaud a team led by a 31-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback simply for taking care of the ball in crunch time, especially against mediocre defenses like Tampa Bay (Week 1), Oakland (Week 2) and New Orleans (Monday night).But it does look as though Ryan and the Atlanta offense has taken a baby step in the right direction in that regard, which could ultimately be enough to turn an 8-8 team from last season into a playoff contender in 2016.Ryan deserves credit, but it's funny what a little balance can do. Atlanta's 19th-ranked rushing offense averaged just 3.8 yards per carry last year, but Freeman and Coleman took a ton of pressure off the passing game by rushing for a combined 333 yards on 55 carries the last two weeks.Unsurprisingly, the Falcons beat tough teams on the road in both of those games.None of this is enough for us to anoint Dan Quinn's team. The three squads they've faced are a combined 3-6, and they fooled a lot of us with a 5-0 start last year. During that stretch, the running game was productive and the Falcons turned the ball over just five times.And then their season got away from them, partly because they became too unbalanced and too sloppy, but also because a defense with just 23 takeaways and a league-low 19 sacks lacked bite.That D surrendered 32 points Monday night at the Superdome and has given up a league-high 12 touchdowns thus far. It is a problem. A pass rush that Pro Football Focus ranked 24th in football after two weeks has just three sacks and wasn't able to pressure Saints quarterback Drew Breesmuch on Monday.That's why they continue to be something short of a completely good football team, which could cost them in upcoming matchups with contenders Carolina, Denver, Seattle, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Arizona and Kansas City. The schedule is daunting, and the sample we're citing right now remains small.But if you can score enough points and avoid killer mistakes, you can overcome almost any obstacle in this leagueincluding a tough schedule and a bad defense.The Atlanta Falcons aren't completely good, but you'd be foolish to rule them out.Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow @Brad_Gagnon
Click here to read full news..
