Tight end Tony Gonzalez decided to come back for another season in 2013 in large part because he felt the Falcons were in position to challenge for a Super Bowl title.
With quarterback Matt Ryan throwing to Gonzalez, Roddy White and Julio Jones, the team’s offense is a big reason to feel that way. They also replaced running back Michael Turner with Steven Jackson this offseason, a move that many see as an upgrade to the offense. Gonzalez puts himself in that group and thinks that Jackson’s addition gives the Falcons the pieces they need to have a perfect offense.
“Obviously, we’re led by Matt Ryan,” Gonzalez said on the NFL Network. “With him pulling the trigger, with Roddy, Julio, myself, we’re going to try and soften up that defense a lot where they got to stand back and play off us a little bit. That is going to make big holes for a guy like Steven Jackson, and we should hopefully go out there and be the perfect offense. That’s what we strive to be is the perfect type of offense where it’s pick your poison; who are you going to stop? With Steven Jackson back there in the backfield, it just makes us that much tougher to defend.”
Jackson’s wider range of skills should bring the Falcons offense more than Turner could provide last season while the quality of the passing game in Atlanta should allow Jackson to get through the season with less wear and tear than he was used to in St. Louis. Perfection is an unreachable goal, but the Falcons have the pieces to come as close as any team in the league this year.