ATLANTA FALCONS going HARD KNOCKS on HBO and will they go 4-12 in another HARD KNOCKS Life?...DIRTY BIRDS 2014 Season Preview as MATTY ICE needs to stay clean...Action JACKSON needs to stay Healthy...the PEACH Drop 3 is now the PEACH Drop 2 minus TE Royalty "GONZO"...and what about that FALCONS "D" with Backer "SPOON" on IR again? #FalconNation #DirtyBirds404 #RiseUpIn2014

The Atlanta Falcons have plenty to prove as they went from the NFC Elite to NFC Basement and that is putting it mildly. Lead Man Mike Smith appears to be safe for now but there has been Kingsford Edge spotted several times in the Falcons Equipment Room for that Head Coach's Seat.

QB Matty Ice is Super-Nice and Falcons Nation was quick to jump on Ryan as he was never clean last season sacked some 44 times a career-high in 2013 and without Julio Jones for most of 2013. RB Steven "Action from the 702" Jackson needs to stay healthy as he has a lot a tread on those 26" Tires. The O-Line need to be better both Run and Pass.

Julio Jones and Roddy White must be healthy for 16 anything less than that will derail any hopes of the Dirty Birds doing anything offensively in 2014. No TE Tony Gonzalez and who fills that void to give the Dirty Birds at least 50% of "Gonzo" was?

The "D" looses Sean Weatherspoon again as he was working to get back from that Lisfranc Injury was working with the Falcons Training Staff and gets a Ruptured Achilles...and that is bad news for Falcons "D" 2014.

Key Players

Offense
QB Matty Ice
RB Jackson/Rodgers
WRs Roddy/Julio/Douglas/Devin Hester
RT Jake Matthews (2014 #1 Pick)
LG J. Blalock

Defense
LDE Tyson Jackson (2014 FA Falcons)
RDE J. Babineaux
SOLB K. Biermann
LCB D. Trufant
SS W. Moore
FS Dwight Lowery (2014 FA Jags)
RCB R. Alford

The Offense will count heavily on the O-Line as they added Gadget Devin Hester for the Kicking Game. 3rd WR Harry Douglas will try to add to the Peach Drop 2 in Julio and Roddy. Watch Gadget Quizz Rodgers on 3rd down he can be dynamic.

Defensively the Strength might be the Secondary as 2nd-year CBs Trufant and Alford are looking the part. They lose Safety Thomas DeCoud but Will Moore is back there with 2014 FA Pick Up Dwight Lowery. Kroy Biermann Co-Star of "Don't Be Tardy" with Squeeze Kim Zolciak will be counted on heavily as he is as versatile as they come as OLB/DE with a nice combo of Size and Speed.

2014 Key Schedule Dates
NFC South Opponents: Saints, Panthers, Bucs

Wk 1 vs Saints
Wk 3 vs Bucs
Wk 6 vs Bears
Wk 10 @ Bucs
Wk 11 @ Panthers
Wk 14 @ Packers
Wk 15 vs Steelers
WK 16 @ Saints
Wk 17 vs Panthers

The toughest part of that 2014 Schedule is the 2nd half facing the Panthers (Twice), Saints, Packers, Steelers, and Cardinals. The Falcons have their work cut out as Lead Man Mr. Smith is on the clock!