Will the Falcons live up to the high expectations for a strengthened team?

Six consecutive losing seasons is usually not the recipe for selling all your season tickets.

But apparently the Atlanta Falcons have a different formula. After signing the NFL’s biggest free agent contract, quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Falcons sold out their season tickets for the first time in 20 years.

Yes, the Falcons have suddenly become a favorite as they also begin a new era under new coach Raheem Morris against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“Obviously, expectations are a little bit higher than normal,” Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s good when you have expectations. It means you’re doing something right. You’ve got momentum going in the right direction. At the end of the day, none of that matters if you don’t do what you have to do day in and day out. We’ll see what happens.”

Cousins, with first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. in the wings, is addressing the team’s most glaring problem. He’s installed to solidify a unit that already has top-tier young talent in running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London. They also added free agent receiver Darnell Mooney. And the offensive line remains intact, led by Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom and veteran left tackle Jake Matthews.

Over the past month, the Falcons have also added two key Pro Bowl-qualified pieces to their defense, trading for edge rusher Matthew Judon and signing free agent Justin Simmons.

Clearly, they won the offseason, which is why many experts have the Falcons picked to win the NFC South division title, which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the last three seasons. And the expectations are also reflected in a schedule that includes three primetime exhibition games in the first five weeks.

“Atlanta needs football back,” said Bates, aware that the last time the Falcons had a winning season and a playoff berth was in 2017. “We’re excited about the expectations, but we have to work day in and day out.”

It won’t be long before they can live up to the hype, with the Eagles, Chiefs and Bucs on the early season schedule.

Dallas’ defensive transformation: ‘A little chaos’

If Mike Zimmer’s return to the Dallas Cowboys means the defense won’t resemble the unit that was shredded by the Packers in a shocking first-round playoff loss in January, then maybe there’s real hope that Jerry Jones’ franchise is more than a challenge this time around. Zimmer was lured in to coordinate the defense after Dan Quinn left to become coach of the Washington Commanders.

All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons is a key barometer. With some creative changes, Zimmer could help one of the NFL’s most versatile and talented players reach the next level.

It will also be interesting to see how players adapt to the heavy use of disguises that characterize Zimmer’s creations. Dallas opens Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

“It’s a little bit of theatrics, as well as hard-fought football,” linebacker Eric Kendricks told USA TODAY Sports.

Kendricks, a 10-year veteran, was one of the few free agents that budget-strapped Dallas signed this offseason, and there’s no mystery as to why. He played seven seasons under Zimmer with the Minnesota Vikings and can clearly help his new teammates acclimate to Zimmer’s schemes.

What does Kendricks tell his teammates about all these disguised coverages and rushes?

“It’s a little bit of chaos, a little bit of frenzy,” he said. “We have to learn the game a lot more than these guys have been called upon to do in the past. Know where your help is and who has who. Because when things change so quickly, you have to support each other.”

Fast tilts

On a night when Patrick Mahomes surpassed Len Dawson’s record to become the Chiefs’ all-time leading passer, it was also notable that the star quarterback hauled in his second career reception just before halftime in Thursday night’s win over the Ravens. Like Mahomes’ first career reception, the 2-yard gain came on a deflection of a pass he threw — and was significant because he jumped between two defenders to prevent an interception and allowed Kansas City to continue to chip away at the clock. And, of course, given the creative wrinkles Chiefs coach Andy Reid is known for, it never resulted in a play where he was targeted for a pass, which gives Mahomes something to think about. “I know I only got 2 yards, but I think it was a pretty good reception,” Mahomes said. “So maybe that might prompt Coach Reid to throw me a pass here somewhere.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can the Atlanta Falcons live up to new high expectations?