How can you not be excited about the direction of the Falcons?

Falcons fans have been tormented for basically their entire existence, and that’s been especially true during the current postseason drought. It’s been a constant battle of one step forward and 648 steps back; every time they feel like they finally have some hope to grasp onto, they get kicked where it hurts until they no longer have the willpower to stand.

I understand that feeling. I’ve lived it right alongside every one of you. But I’m not sure how anybody can look at what’s transpired through the first seven weeks and not be excited about the trajectory of this organization under new leadership.

The Development of Michael Penix Jr.

You can’t win without good quarterback play in this league, and it’s what’s held the Falcons back ever since the team traded Matt Ryan to the Colts. There were once again tons of questions surrounding the position entering the season, and while not all of them have been answered, Penix has looked every bit a franchise quarterback since returning from an ACL injury.

Atlanta is now 3-2 in games he’s started, and that record very easily could be 4-1 had he not gotten hurt on the final drive of regulation against the Ravens. Penix is completing just under 67% of his passes this season — seven points higher than he came into it — and his QBR ranks ninth in the league. He’s boasting a 109.2 passer rating, tossing nine touchdowns to just one interception.

The questions about Penix’s ability to stay healthy aren’t going away anytime soon, but strictly based on what we’ve seen on the field, he’s performing like a franchise quarterback. This is a guy who has only a season’s worth of starts under his belt, is coming off a season-ending injury, and is just five games into a completely new offensive system. There’s a good chance this is only the tip of the iceberg for his development — making this the closest the Falcons have been to getting the position right in eight years.

A Stellar Rookie Class

Consistent winners are built through the draft, and the new regime in Atlanta was operating short-handed without a first-round pick. Still, it looks to have landed four big-time contributors.

Avieon Terrell has started in the secondary every game he’s been healthy. Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. have immediately become game-changers at the second level of the defense, and Zachariah Branch has flashed his explosiveness in the third phase. All of these guys look like they’ll contribute in Atlanta for a long time, and three of them were taken in the third round or later. That’s a tremendous job of identifying talent, and it should give everyone a lot of confidence in this new regime.

An A+++ Offseason

The rookie class is a part of it, but if that’s not enough to convince you Ian Cunningham and Matt Ryan can figure this thing out, the trades and free agent pickups this offseason should put any questions to bed.

Maason Smith and Gervon Dexter Sr. were home-run acquisitions via trade. They’ve completely revamped the interior of the Falcons’ defensive line with two big swings, giving Atlanta a tantalizing front to build around, especially once James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker return.

But Cunningham and Ryan also proved they don’t need a bunch of money to find impact pieces. Za’Darius Smith was added late in the offseason following the injury to Jalon Walker and already has 4.5 sacks in just six games. Cam Thomas was signed to a one-year deal worth just over $3 million and has pitched in a couple of sacks, and Samson Ebukam signed a similar deal while recording 2.5 of his own.

This is an edge group that looked rather hopeless. The Falcons lost Pearce and Walker before the season started, and they barely had any money to spend. Ryan and Cunningham had to find some diamonds in the rough for this to work, and they nailed every addition. Now imagine what they could do next offseason with a lot more cash in their pockets.

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Photo: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire