The Atlanta Falcons have had a lot of success since bottoming out in the 2007 season, making the playoffs in 2008, 2010 and 2011.  Even in 2009 when they weren’t in the postseason, Mike Smith and Thomas Dimitroff’s team had a 9-7 record.

RealGM has been using a statistic called the Trench Counter to rank NFL teams since the 2007 season.

The Trench Counter accounts for average yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards, first downs and turnovers to determine how well teams control the game in the most meaningful ways.

The Falcons rank 12th in Trench Counter from the 2007 season through 2011.

Below are Atlanta's season-by-season rankings, Trench Counter totals and their actual record in parentheses.

2007: 26th, -4.2 (4-12)
2008: 10th, +3.5 (11-5)
2009: 15th, +1.3 (9-7)
2010: 6th, +4.9 (13-3)
2011: 8th, +4.5 (10-6)