When the schedules for the 2016 NFL season were released, Atlanta Falcons fans were stunned.

Playing Denver and Seattle on the road in back to back games, inviting NFC powerhouses like Green Bay and Arizona to the Dome, and playing in the very tough NFC South division doesn’t sound like an easy path for improvement from an unimpressive 8-8 record.

However, improvement doesn’t necessarily need to come in the W column, improvement needs to come in individual aspects of the game on the field.

Since the woeful 2013 season where Atlanta followed up a 13-3 record with a pitiful 4-12 record, a pass rush has been nowhere to be found on defense. Quarterbacks danced around the pocket for what seemed like hours, allowing receivers to get open in the crumbling secondary.

Over the last three seasons, the Falcons’ total sack numbers have never been above the third worst in the entire league.

The defensive line could hold their own against the run, but brought no pressure on the passing game. In fact, from the 2013 season to last season, the Falcons’ total sack numbers were never above the third worst in the entire league.

Vic Beasley was drafted to give the defensive line a young and powerful spark. However, due to injury and lack of experience, he didn’t do much in his first season. The rookie had a few nice games and certainly improved as the season went on, but he didn’t play like an eighth overall draft pick.

With another season under his belt, he needs to evolve into a leader to carry the other linebackers and defensive line out of the bottom of the barrel. The unit doesn’t even have to necessarily rack up sacks, just collapse the pocket and put pressure on the quarterback.

If the defense can make it appear like the opposing team is no longer playing Madden on rookie difficulty, that’s improvement. If fans can watch the games and feel like the d-line is at least making it challenging for the opposing offense, that’s improvement. If Coach Quinn, a pass rush guru, can make fans feel like the team has a chance to knock a quarterback to the turf, that’s improvement.

With a difficult schedule looming, a realistic fan cannot expect the Falcons to go on a tear and win more than 10 games. Many analysts even see the playoffs as a stretch. But if the Falcons can show improvement in their defensive line, then fans will see the team is moving in the right direction.

This article isn’t a hit piece on Dan Quinn or the beloved Dirty Birds, it’s an idea of what to look forward to next season. Maybe the team will end up in the big game, but if they don’t, a better pass rush is something to hope for.