We have heard it by now. The Atlanta Falcons have been in Atlanta since 1966 and have not had back to back winning seasons….ever. This team hopes to put that to rest and finish the disappointing 2009 season with a positive.

Why was 2009 a disappointment? Well myself and many other Falcon fans were looking for big things in year 2 of “The Process” as Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff call it. After transforming an organization in turmoil into a playoff team, many expected 2009 to show a long playoff run or better.  We all knew the schedule would be tougher and the defense would be younger. But we didn’t think we would need to salvage a winning season.  As tough a year as the Falcons are having, there are still signs of “The Process”working especially this past Sunday in New York.

Matt Ryan battled through his turf toe injury to throw the game winning touchdown pass on the final drive. The defense kept the Falcons in the game against the Jets only allowing 1 touchdown and also blocked a field goal. The young secondary had 3 INTs in the 10-7 win vs. New York.  That being said, we all know as fans some changes have to be made to get to where we want to go in the future.

What is the next step in “The Process”?

The Falcons are currently 26th in the NFL with 25 sacks and 23rd in INTs with 11. These are two areas I see the Falcons addressing in the off season. You may see the Falcons make some moves through free agency this year as most work this past season was done through the draft. But what about RB? I love Michael Turner and feel Norwood is good healthy. But how healthy is he? Snelling is a good 3rd option but I think you might see the Falcons take a young RB late in the draft.

This is only year 2 of “The Process” and the Falcons seem to be a stable franchise again. The offseason should be interesting and next year would be even better without hearing about the consecutive winning season stuff all year. I know many Falcon fans are down about this year but I have completely bought into “The Process” and think big things are about to happen for the Dirty Birds!