The phrase, "one-year wonders," might be a little harsh, because I think the Falcons are well-coached. Whenever a team is well-coached and has a good talent base, they can be good. Do I think they'll duplicate their season of a year ago? No.

They are playing in a weak division, the NFC West, and I think only one team is going to the playoffs from that division -- the 49ers. Can the Falcons win it? Sure, because I don't think the NFC West champion will win 12 games this year. Maybe an 11-5 or 10-6 record will do it. But San Francisco is too high-powered on offense for the Falcons to overcome again this year.

If the Falcons still had Tony Martin on the outside and his speed to stretch the field, I would pick them to win the division. People might be critical of that approach, because I'm one putting a lot of emphasis on one player. But couple the loss of Martin with the holdout of Jamal Anderson in camp, and I think the Falcons will have a tough time.

They might win 10 games, but I don't think that will get the Falcons to the playoffs -- unless the 49ers go 9-7. Last year, Atlanta had Martin to stretch the field, so defenses couldn't just key on Terance Mathis. But they replaced Martin with Chris Calloway, who missed almost the whole preseason. Calloway is a possession receiver, and I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have speed on the outside.

Anderson had a special season last year, and Chris Chandler is one of my favorite quarterbacks in the league. But I said last year that Martin was the biggest key to that team.

You'll see the Falcons struggle to make the big plays outside, which means more defenders will play close to the line of scrimmage against Anderson and put more pressure on Chandler on passing downs. Anderson will have to carry the ball 400 more times this year. How many backs can run almost 900 times in two years and still be standing? He might, but that's a lot to ask.

For them to even get a sniff at the playoffs, Chandler will have to stay healthy all season. He's one of the best red-zone quarterbacks in the league, but he's been injury-prone in the past. If he's out three or four games, that could be the difference in winning or not winning the division.

Everything fell into place for them last year. It was nearly a perfect season until the end. It will be hard to duplicate the special season they had.

By Mike Golic
Special to ESPN.com

I don't believe the Atlanta Falcons were one-year wonders. In fact, I think they will be the new kings of the NFC West.

The 49ers have slipped, and the Falcons are right there to take the reigns once again. They will definitely feel the loss of Tony Martin. He and Terance Mathis formed one of the league's best receiving tandems. But tight end O.J. Santiago has came along for the Falcons, and Chris Chandler should be throwing to him more this season.

I actually believe that Jamal Anderson, if he stays healthy, will get more carries than the record 410 he had last year, and the Falcons might use him more as a receiving threat out of the backfield. He is a huge weapon for that team. He is so hard to tackle and runs so low to the ground. He really opens up the passing game.

Having Byron Hanspard as a healthy backup to Jamal Anderson should help keep Anderson fresh. Anderson wants the ball every time, but it's very difficult in a 16-game regular season to not get a break. The Falcons won't have a huge falloff when Hanspard enters the game, so they should be better off. Anderson's holdout gave Hanspard more time to practice with the first unit in the preseason.

In the NFC West, which is more of a passing division, I like Atlanta's defense. It's a somewhat small defense, but defensive coordinator Rich Brooks has that unit hitting gaps and attacking. They tackle the running back on the way to the quarterback.

I like linebacker Keith Brooking as a replacement for Cornelius Bennett. Brooking, the Falcons' No. 1 in 1998, is a hard hitter and has a lot younger legs than Bennett. Jessie Tuggle still anchors the defense and acts like a stonewall in the middle. The Atlanta defense has great athletes running around who play bigger and stronger than they are. They're fun to watch.

I think the Falcons are capable of 10-12 wins this year, but it's too much to ask for 14 wins from anyone. By no means, though, do I think they were one-year wonders.