The Atlanta Falcons 2018 season has not been up to mar with previous efforts. In the 2017 season, the Falcons finished the regular season with a 10-6 record, good for the 5th best record in the NFC. After defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card game, the Falcons lost 10-15 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. In the previous year, the Falcons posted an even stronger record of 11-5. In the playoffs, the Falcons beat the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers to make it to their first Super Bowl appearance in the 21st century. Sadly, the Falcons lost to the New England Patriots 34-28 after Tom Brady led the Patriots to come back from a 28-3 deficit. With a 2018 record of 4-9 so far, the Falcons will surely miss the playoffs.

In the offseason, the Falcons lost defensive tackle Dontari Poe and defensive end Adrian Clayborn. These players had powerful impacts on the Atlanta defense, so without them, the defense would struggle. Additionally, the Falcons have a very tough conference with numerous playoff contenders. With the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Dallas Cowboys, the Falcons have a very tough conference year after year. This year, a nearly season-ending injury to star running back Devonta Freeman has limited the offensive versatility of the Falcons. Even with this, the Falcons offense has been solid, and Matt Ryan is posting outstanding numbers. The Falcons struggles stem from their defense. The Falcons have allowed the 4th most points to opponents this season; however, they have scored the 14th most points this season. This difference is likely caused by the defensive players the Falcons lost during the offseason.
For the remainder of the season, the Falcons face the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons will realistically win the game against the Arizona Cardinals, and lose the other two games. Doing so will give the Falcons a record of 5-11, the opposite of the record they posted two years ago in their Super Bowl run. With this abysmal season, the Falcons will still likely have their two offensive stars, Julio Jones and Matt Ryan, in the Pro Bowl.

The Falcons would need several changes to their defense to improve on this record in the following seasons. A change at the defensive coordinator position and additions to the defensive front line would strengthen the Falcons core. Although the pass defense is slightly better than the run defense, additions everywhere would be very beneficial. If the Falcons can bring in a star safety, and defensive lineman that are better pass rushers, the defense would drastically improve. Additionally, with Devonta Freeman fully healthy next season, the Falcons would have a more balanced offense, and this would most likely lead to a better record. Although the Falcons have not had the best season, they have made the playoffs in both of the past two seasons, so there is hope for the team. These changes would bring the Falcons back to the playoffs, and hopefully, the Falcons would be the second Atlanta team to win a championship following Atlanta United FC.