You know That Guy that goes over to someone's house to watch a game and cheers against the team he knows 95 percent of the people there are rooting for? It always happens to work out where That Guy is not a fan of the opposing team, but he still obnoxiously claps and yells while the Home Team gets its heart ripped out.

I despise That Guy. However, I kind of was That Guy for an entire season last year in Atlanta.

I loathe the Braves and I think Mike Vick-Mexico is completely overrated. Needless to say, I don't go over well with Atlanta fans. And after the Falcons made the NFC Championship Game in 2004, Atlanta fans' heads inflated faster than Lindsay Lohan's chest. Convinced that Vick-Mexico is a god, they were certain their club was Super Bowl bound. After a 6-2 start it was seen as God's Will.

On the other hand, I realized that while Atlanta was a solid squad, its impressive run in '04 was aided by good fortune and an easy schedule. I had predicted doom for the franchise on this very website last fall, and watched with glee as they went 2-6 down the stretch and missed the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history.

This year I believe Atlanta will fall somewhere in between '04 and '05. I love their dedication to the run (top two in the league for two years) and I'm a big fan of what they've done to restructure the defense. They've added John Abraham, retooled the secondary and welcomed back middle linebacker Edge Hartwell. Running the ball and playing good defense, as we all know, is a formula for success in the NFL.

However, they still need to overcome the ineptitude and inconsistency of Vick. He can be electrifying, and does add flavor to their offensive attack. But he is not a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback (I don't care how many times he's gone to Honolulu) and if he can't learn to efficiently run an offense this team will remain mired in mediocrity.

Here's Doc's 2006 Atlanta Falcons Preview

2005 Record: 8-8 (4-4 home, 4-4 road)
2005 Rankings: 12th offense (27th pass, 1st run); 22nd defense (14th pass, 26th run)
2005 Against the Spread: 7-8-1 ATS (4-4 home, 3-4-1 road); 9-7 vs. total (3-5 h, 6-2 r)
2006 Odds: 36/1 to win Super Bowl, 14/1 to win NFC, 2.5/1 to win NFC South, 8 as wins O/U
2006 Strength of Schedule: 15th (.508 opp. win %)
Key stat: The Falcons were the league's best third-down team. Offensively they were No. 2, converting 42.9 percent. Defensively they were No. 1, allowing only a 30.2 percent conversion rate.

Returning starters: 16 (9 offense, 7 defense)
Key acquisitions: John Abraham, DE (from NYJ); Lawyer Milloy, SS (from Buffalo); Chris Crocker, FS (from Cleveland); Wayne Gandy, OT (from N.O.).
Key departures: Keion Carpenter, S; Bryan Scott, S; Erik Flowers, DE; Kevin Shaffer, OT; Brady Smith, DE.

Offense: The loss of Brian Finneran, who blew out his knee early in training camp, and the secrecy around the offseason ankle and shoulder surgeries of All-Pro tight end Alge Crumpler have cast a pall on the Atlanta offense. This is Mike Vick's third season in Greg Knapp's offensive system, and the rumor is that he has a firm grasp on the scheme. However, if Vick can't find a go-to receiver he likely won't improve his career 54 percent completion rate. But the good news is that with Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett the Falcons will continue to be one of the NFL's top rushing teams.
Defense:The defense fell from 2nd to 15th in sacks between 2004 and 2005 so they've built this year's unit on speed and pass rushing. But that won't help their 26th ranked rush defense. That could be trouble given the teams that are on their schedule. But what they are counting on is the return of 2005 free agent pickup Hartwell, who played sparingly in just five games due to injury. The secondary was much worse than its No. 14 ranking but received a complete overhaul with that acquisitions of Milloy, Crocker and Williams.
X-factor: Roddy White and Mike Jenkins. The two highly touted wideouts need to step up now that Vick's security blankets are gone (Finneran) and banged up (Crumpler). If not, Vick will flounder and this team will again be watching the playoffs.
Outlook: This is a make-or-break season for a lot of people in this organization. Atlanta is in one of the league's toughest divisions, and will be matched up against the equally rugged NFC East and AFC North. They need to dig deep, and I see them either rising to the occasion (most likely) or crumbling on their way to a 6-10 debacle (less likely).

Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail him at robert@docsports.com or check out his Insider Page here.