NEW YORK (AP) -- Comments on the Atlanta Falcons by the AP Pro32 panel (ranking in parentheses):
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ATLANTA FALCONS (4)
Chris Berman (ESPN, 9) - Maybe they take that next step.
Clifton Brown (Sporting News, 5) - Similar to Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan is taking his game to another level.
Cris Collinsworth (NBC Sports, 5) - Comment currently unavailable
Rich Gannon (CBS Sports/SiriusXM NFL Radio, 4) - Gaining momentum with their D under Mike Nolan and Matt Ryan looks terrific.
Bob Glauber (Newsday, 2) - Amazing what you can do when you have talented players to work with. Just ask Mike Nolan. He goes from hapless Dolphins to the Falcons, and the results are immediate: His "amoeba defense" produces three first-quarter interceptions of Peyton Manning to set up Monday night's win.
Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News, 4) - Both wide receivers (Julio Jones and Roddy White) have had 100-yard games this season.
Clark Judge (CBSSports.com, 3) - As Denny Green might say, the Falcons are who we thought they were. They're going to win the division, and they could gain a first-round bye. Now the question: Can they win a playoff game?
Ira Kaufman (Tampa Tribune, 7) - Few quarterbacks have better downfield targets than Matt Ryan, and it shows.
Pat Kirwan (SiriusXM NFL Radio/CBSSports.com, 2) - The Falcons offense is explosive and the defense is opportunistic. This week we find out how they do on the road at undefeated San Diego. Matt Ryan looks ready for the best year of his career.
John Lynch (Fox Sports, 2) - Mike Smith made some changes in his staff this offseason bringing in two new Coordinators, OC Dirk Koetter and DC Mike Nolan. The Falcons are soaring at 2-0 and look tough.
Alex Marvez (Foxsports.com, 3) - Just like Joe Flacco in Baltimore, Atlanta's Matt Ryan is making major strides toward becoming an elite quarterback in his fifth NFL season.
Dan Pompei (Chicago Tribune, 3) - The defense is rejuvenated under Mike Nolan, and the offense looks pretty good, too.
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