The Atlanta Falconsarguably have the top receiving corps in the NFL, but it's their backfield acquisition of Steven Jackson this offseason that has Tony Gonzalez pumped.
The veteran tight end called Jackson a "beast" Wednesday morning on NFL Network's "NFL AM" and intimated that the addition of the running back moved the Falcons' offense a stride closer to flawlessness.
"Obviously, we're led by Matt Ryan," Gonzalez said. "With him pulling the trigger, with Roddy (White), Julio (Jones), myself, we're going to try and soften up that defense a lot where they got to stand back and play off us a little bit. That is going to make big holes for a guy like Steven Jackson, and we should hopefully go out there and be the perfect offense.
"That's what we strive to be is the perfect type of offense where it's pick your poison; who are you going to stop? With Steven Jackson back there in the backfield, it just makes us that much tougher to defend."
While the Falcons' offense starts with Ryan and the receivers, it should end with Jackson. His bruising style will allow the Falcons to control the clock and salt away leads late in games -- an aspect they sorely missed as Michael Turner's production deteriorated last season. If the offensive line holds up, the run-pass combo might be as close to perfection as any NFL team.
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.
