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As of 2021, there are still 12 NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl. In the AFC, the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Buffalo Bills are yet to win a Lombardi trophy.
Meanwhile, in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions, the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Arizona Cardinals have spent years in the proverbial Super Bowl wilderness.
Here, let's cast an eye over the Atlanta Falcons and assess the team's chances of ending fans' long wait for Super Bowl glory.
Will the Atlanta Falcons be the first team to end its Super Bowl drought?
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With Matt Ryan, the Falcons have themselves a gunslinger under center and, despite his advancing years, he is a QB capable of taking an exceptional roster on a deep run into the playoffs. He will also be helped by his favored receiver, the superb Julio Jones, who will be back fit soon.
The Falcons have an outstanding set of receiving corps in Jones, Calvin Ridley, and TE Hayden Hurst. If coach Arthur Smith can get them fit and keep them together during the offseason, that quintet will always have a chance of beating a team deep.
That being said, I don't believe the Falcons will be the first of the 12 teams never to have won a Super Bowl to achieve the feat; not without significant improvement during this (and future) offseason(s).
Todd Gurley ll has lost a yard since the knee injuries and doesn't seem like the same player who lit up the league with the Rams in 2017 & 2018 when he tallied over 2,500 rushing yards and 30 TDs. His production over the last few seasons has been way down to 1,500 yards and 21 TDs (most from close in).
The Falcons will need to upgrade their RB department and bring in a player who can handle a heavier workload. The team also has issues on the offensive line where Kaleb McGary continues to underperform (58.2 passes blocking grade last year). There's also the biggest problem of all, which is that Atlanta shares the NFC South division with the New Orleans Saints (NFC South Division Champions four years in a row) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Super Bowl 2020 winners). This makes it very tough on Smith's team to even reach the playoffs in the short term.
I can't totally rule Atlanta out, but it would take a minor miracle for them to win a Super Bowl ahead of some of the other 12 teams mentioned.
What do you think? Can Atlanta deny the odds and win the Super Bowl ahead of the Browns or the Bills? Have your say in the comments section below:
