Both had stellar rookie campaigns, and surpassed expectations by a very large amount. This has led to super bowl talk for both teams during the offseason. Especially with the addition of perhaps the best TE to ever play the game. Now both of these birds are looking up at other teams in the division. Here's the question....Was Matt Ryan just a byproduct of Michael Turner's outstanding year last year? And will Joe Flacco simply be a "game manager" for a team that relies primarilly on outstanding defense?

You don't watch much NFL football do you?

Joe Flacco is a stud quarterback and not just a "game manager"...Ben Roethlisberger had to shed that reputation too.

Baltimore can no longer rely on their "dominant defense"...they just aren't that dominant any more...

I guess you missed the point. I never said Flacco wasn't good. Last year they did ask him to manage the game, and win with defense. The falcons relied mainly on Turner to open up their offense. Both teams have gone away from that and let their young QB's become the focal point of their team. This appears to have effected both teams in the win-loss column.