The Falcoholic
For the second consecutive season, one of the NFL’s best rivalries was on the opening week slate in 2014. The Falcons and Saints were squaring off again to start the year after New Orleans narrowly beat them the previous season. The game would be in Atlanta this time around, which felt needed after how disastrous the 2013 season was for the Falcons.
It was the first losing season for Matt Ryan and Mike Smith. A combination of a flawed roster, aging veterans, and devastating injuries turned an established contender into one of the worst teams in the league. They needed to start the year off strong to prove they can still compete in the NFC. What better way to do that than against your biggest rivals, coming off an eleven-win season and having won a playoff game?
Animosity is always high when these teams square off. Games are normally close, no matter which team is better on paper. Ryan had to be at his best going against a Saints team built to be one of the NFL’s top contenders going into 2014.
With the Falcons’ defense looking like one of the worst units in the league going into the season (and they sure were that), this matchup had all the makings of Ryan needing to keep pace with Drew Brees. He was ready to do that by delivering one of the best performances of his career.
Getting Julio Jones and Roddy White back healthy on the field together was one of the biggest positives to start the season. While Ryan had to adjust to no longer having Tony Gonzalez, he sorely missed having his star wide receivers together in 2013.
Combining them with Harry Douglas, who was coming off a 1,000-yard season where he was the team’s top option, would give the Falcons a prolific aerial attack. Devin Hester unexpectedly made an instant impact as a wide receiver that also elevated the offense.
Hester caught five passes for 99 yards in his debut as a Falcon. For Ryan to show immediate trust in him was hugely encouraging. In a game where they were behind for most of it, the pressure was on the franchise quarterback to produce a scoring drive every time he was on the field.
He needed all four of his playmaking wide receivers to do it. The production between them couldn’t have been more equally distributed.
Jones, White, Douglas, and Hester all received at least six targets, caught five passes, and gained at least 69 yards. Jones led in all categories, as he was beginning to establish himself as an elite wide receiver. White caught the lone touchdown between them on a back-shoulder throw, which Ryan placed perfectly to get the Falcons on the board after falling behind 13-0.
After how miserable the 2013 season was, it was euphoric for fans to see the passing game fire on all cylinders with four playmakers making a difference on nearly every drive.
There were other valuable...
