After a disappointing 2009 season, the Atlanta Falcons and their fans should have a lot to look forward to in 2010. With star running back Michael Turner finally back Levitra to 100 percent and quarterback Matt Ryan having another full season under his belt, the Falcons are in great position to challenge for a playoff spot, even though toppling the New Orleans Saints in the division is a bit of a tall task. Still, the Falcons have one of the more exciting teams in the league and finished the 2009 season very strong, which brings considerable expectations for their 2010 campaign.

Starting the 2009 season 4-1, the Falcons seemed to be in position to cruise to a playoff spot. But after a rough stretch in the middle portion of their schedule, in which Turner tried in vain to battle through injury, the Falcons fell below .500 and never recovered. Without Turner, the Falcons struggled to score points down the stretch, though they did get their act together and put together three straight wins at the end of the season, placing them on the cusp of the playoffs.

While the Falcons fell from their early prominence, many pointed to not only the Turner injury but Ryan’s regression as a signal caller, though this can be inherently misleading. Ryan did have a worse QB rating than he did in his spectacular 2008 rookie season, but the Falcons also asked him to do much more in 2009. Without Turner for much of the season last year, Ryan had more passing attempts than he did in 2008 despite playing in two less games. With the Falcons struggling to run the ball, Ryan was exposed to much more pressure from defenses, leading to declining overall numbers and critics calling his 2009 season a sophomore slump.

But even though some of his stats dipped, Ryan still threw a decent 22 touchdowns against 14 picks while battling injuries of his own. After sitting out weeks 13 and 14 with a severely jammed toe, Ryan returned to the field for victories in each of the last three games of the season. Through the first 30 starts of his career, Ryan is an unbelievable 20-10, which should remind fans that he’s one of top passers in the league.

With a healthy Ryan teaming with a healthy Turner, the Falcons should be a very formidable team in 2010. When on the field, Turner has been one of the top backs in the league, which he showed when he rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2008. At age 28, Turner now has plenty to prove and needs to have a bounce-back season, his third as a starting running back in the NFL after being LaDainian Tomlinson’s backup for years in San Diego.

The Falcons are also reportedly heading into the season a bit more cautious with Turner. After leading the league in rushing attempts (376) in 2008, the Falcons are looking to keep his attempts to less than 300 this season while utilizing backup Jerious Norwood considerably more in the rushing attack. If they can keep Turner fresh throughout the season, it should provide the type of offensive balance that was missing for most of 2009.

The 2010 season won’t only come down to Turner and Ryan, of course, as they have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball as well. After putting together his third straight season of more than 1,150 receiving yards, Roddy White has moved into the upper echelon of receivers in the league and is still in his prime. He also is the type of exciting player who always sells plenty of Atlanta Falcons tickets. In the offseason, the Falcons also picked up talented cornerback Dunta Robinson after playing six seasons in Houston. On the defensive front, they still have John Abraham, who struggled in 2009 and needs to get back to his 2007/2008 dominance to get the Falcons into the playoff picture.

Even if most of the speculation in the NFC is around the defending champion Saints, Brett Favre pickup football games in Mississippi and Dez Bryant’s aversion to mild rookie hazing, the Atlanta Falcons are quietly in position to have a great season. If Matt Ryan can progress from last season and the Falcons can keep Turner healthy, the Falcons could be a dark horse to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

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