Why Falcons are NFC's best

When Lions coach Jim Schwartz was the defensive coordinator in Tennessee, he used to tell me all the time: In the NFL sometimes the best, and smartest, thing you can be is boring. What he meant by that was everyone wants flash -- TD bombs, nasty sacks, high-scoring games and non-stop locker room chatter -- but in a league with so much competitive balance, where one or two mistakes will cost you most games, the best teams are usually the most boring.

To find out the 11 things you should know about the Atlanta Falcons -- you must be an Insider.

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David Fleming | email

ESPN The Magazine

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• Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine FlemFile columnist for ESPN.com.
• Has written more than 30 cover stories for SI and ESPN.
• Author of "Noah's Rainbow" (a father's memoir) and "Breaker Boys" (stolen 1925 NFL title).