2016 Atlanta Falcons Expert Predictions and Season Win Totals Picks

2016 Atlanta Falcons Expert Predictions and Season Win Totals Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 9/9/2016

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones

2015 Record: 8-8

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 7.5

2016 Season Win Total Prediction: 'Over'

I feel like at this time last year if you had offered Atlanta and new head coach Dan Quinn an 8-8 season with some breakout performances by some young players they would've snatched it up in a heartbeat. However, the way things worked out the Falcons did go 8-8 but ended last season with a bittersweet feeling after becoming just the seventh team in NFL history to start the year 5-0 and fail to make the playoffs.

Atlanta was actually outscored on the season, despite their .500 record. And Quinn didn't instill a lot of confidence following a rookie season that saw him make several baffling late-game decisions.

The Falcons offense still looks like a work in progress under Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is a conundrum. He is a horrible in-game manager and really his track record is one of a pretty abject failure. However, the system he runs, handed down to him by his father, has been one of the most successful offensive systems in the league the last 20 years. That success includes usage by the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.

I am a big fan of Ryan's. But the natives are growing restless, and his play has to improve after two down years that can be blamed on all manner of misfortunate. But now it is time to end the excuses, and Ryan needs to minimize turnovers and return to his Pro Bowl form. Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu give him a solid one-two receiving punch, Devonta Freeman was a stud last year, and the offensive line is vastly improved with a healthy Jake Matthews and the offseason addition of Alex Mack.

Defensively, the Falcons still have the same bugaboo that has plagued them for a decade: no pass rush. They were dead last in the league yet again with only 19 - 19! - total sacks. Atlanta really has a stout front four, though no natural pass rushers. The secondary is solid thanks to talented corners Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant. They have major issues at linebacker, however, where they have two rookies and a second-year player all starting.

The Falcons actually have the oldest roster in the NFL heading into the season. It does not seem like it because of their inexperience at running back and linebacker. But this is apparently a team built to win now. The NFC South is wide open behind Carolina. And Atlanta has managed to hit .500 in six of Ryan's eight years at the helm. I think Atlanta has the potential to bounce back. And as long as the defense improves I think this team could claw its way to 9-7 and just miss out on the playoffs.

Falcons Regular Season Schedule (All times Eastern)

WEEK	DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	Location	Result
1	Sun, Sep 11th, 2016	Tampa Bay	01:00 PM	Georgia Dome
2	Sun, Sep 18th, 2016	at Oakland	04:25 PM	Oakland Coliseum
3	Mon, Sep 26th, 2016	at New Orleans	08:30 PM	Superdome
4	Sun, Oct 2nd, 2016	Carolina	01:00 PM	Georgia Dome
5	Sun, Oct 9th, 2016	at Denver	04:05 PM	Mile High Stadium
6	Sun, Oct 16th, 2016	at Seattle	04:25 PM	CenturyLink Field
7	Sun, Oct 23rd, 2016	San_Diego	04:05 PM	Georgia Dome
8	Sun, Oct 30th, 2016	Green Bay	01:00 PM	Georgia Dome
9	Thu, Nov 3rd, 2016	at Tampa Bay	08:25 PM	Raymond James Stadium
10	Sun, Nov 13th, 2016	at Philadelphia	01:00 PM	Lincoln Financial Field
11	Bye
12	Sun, Nov 27th, 2016	Arizona	01:00 PM	Georgia Dome
13	Sun, Dec 4th, 2016	Kansas City	01:00 PM	Georgia Dome
14	Sun, Dec 11th, 2016	at St. Louis	04:25 PM	L.A, Memorial Coliseum
15	Sun, Dec 18th, 2016	San_Francisco	04:05 PM	Georgia Dome
16	Sat, Dec 24th, 2016	at Carolina	01:00 PM	Bank of America Stadium
17	Sun, Jan 1st, 2017	New Orleans	01:00 PM	Georgia Dome

Robert Ferringo is one of the top football handicappers in the country and tallied an unrivaled $20,800 in football profit between 2011 and 2015, including his amazing 2013 NFL season in which he hit 62.1 percent (95-58). Robert has produced 14 of 22 winning football months and an amazing 37 of 57 winning football months over the past decade. Robert has hit nearly 60 percent winners over his last 750 totals picks and is the most prolific big play football handicapper in the nation, going 101-63 (62%) on all football plays rated 5.0 or higher since 2010. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of four winning seasons and is 122-92 over the last three years (57.0 percent).

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Pick:	CHICAGO BEARS +3
Start:	November 24, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Expert:	Doc's Sports

Analysis:

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. Take #256 Chicago Bears +3 over Minnesota Vikings (1p.m., Sunday, November 24 FOX) We used the Bears as a free play winner last Sunday and easily covered the spread and should have been an underdog outright winner. Now we will ride them for a second straight week against another NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are 8-2 on the season, yet are only around a field goal favorite. I still do not trust Sam Donald to win consistently over the course of a 17 game regular season. Minnesota is not as good as their 8-2 record would indicate and playing outdoors in Chicago on Sunday will cause issues for them on both sides of the ball. Chicago has been hit or miss this season, but they will be up to play another divisional rival and we expect them to take this down to the wire as well. Do not miss out on Doc’s Sports Weekend Card featuring top plays in college and NFL football. Read More Read Less

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