Name one person who thought the Atlanta Falcons would be an NFC contender at the mid-point of the season and I would have to call you a liar.

The Falcons were ranked dead last in pre-season power rankings and were predicted to only win three games at the most. Now, 10 games into the season, they sit only two games back of division rival Carolina at 6-4, and are tied for the wild card lead with the Washington Redskins and the pre-season pick to win the Super Bowl, Dallas Cowboys.

The turnaround the Falcons have made in one short off-season is amazing. Hiring a rookie head coach in Mike Smith, drafting a first-round quarterback in Matt Ryan and signing a free agent running back in Michael Turner have been keys to the unexpected success. Keep in mind, this was all conjured up by a first time general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who was part of the three Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

But the praise can't all be credited to Dimitroff. The credit has to begin at the top of the totem pole with owner Arthur Blanks. Blanks found Dimitroff and instead of taking a Jerry Jones or Al Davis approach, gave him full freedom to rebuild the team however he saw suitable.

Blank has put his full trust into Dimitroff and the decision has paid big dividends as the off-season acquisitions are making the front office look like John Schuerholz during the Atlanta Braves amazing run.
Ryan is ranked 13th among quarterbacks with a passer rating of 87.8. That is currently better than future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Donavon Mcnabb.

Turner is ranked third in rushing yards with 971, trailing only Clinton Portis and Adrian Peterson. Not bad for a guy who has been a back up his entire NFL career.

Curtis Lofton, the rookie middle linebacker from Oklahoma, is leading the team with 61 tackles.
Harry Douglas, another rookie, has supplied Ryan with another threat as his 4.2 speed has caught the eye of defenses around the league.

Keeping with the theme, Rookie left tackle Sam Baker has done a outstanding job protecting Ryan, as the offensive line has only allowed 12 sacks on the season.

Not to be overshadowed by the rookies, the veterans have stepped up their game just as much. Third-year acquisition John Abraham is tied for third among sack leaders with 11, and Roddy White has had a breakout season and sits third in receiving yards with 903.

The team is finally coming together as a unit and putting the days of Michael Vick behind it. The Falcons are well-rounded on both sides of the ball and have tremendous play making ability. Led by the veteran leadership of Keith Brooking and Lawyer Malloy, the Falcons have developed a swagger too.

Atlanta has found a terrific coach, a smart quarterback, a solid two-headed running game and a decent special team game. All that is left to do is win ball games.

And by winning ball games come playoffs in January. A vague image and a preposterous goal for the Falcons after all that happened last season is looking a little more clear half way through the season.