1:55 Greg Zuerlein’s last-gasp field goal saw the Dallas Cowboys seal a dramatic 40-39 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons after a crazy onside kick
A chapter of second-half collapses threatens to define the Quinn era, the crowning achievement of which in reaching Super Bowl LI was itself tarnished by the infamous 25-point lead Atlanta blew against the New England Patriots. That is where this all started and barring a stunning recovery, it is what his time in charge will be largely remembered for.
It was recovery in 2019 that saved Quinn’s job as the Falcons won six of their final eight games, including victories over the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers, to avoid humiliation on the back of a 1-7 start to the year. Should a second successive 7-9 season have been a sign to move on? Quite possibly.
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The recent capitulations have been ugly and head-scratching in every sense, from an inexcusable lack of understanding to smother the onside kick against the Cowboys to offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter’s decision to throw the ball five times and run it just once over two straight possessions against the Bears having been up 26-16 in the fourth quarter.
Staying aggressive against Chicago, of course, was not aided by poor execution, quarterback Matt Ryan not registering his first completion in the final quarter until the last two minutes, before throwing a decisive interception with little over a minute to go. That is not to say Ryan was solely at fault, either.
0:19 The Falcons let a big lead slip away for the second consecutive week after Anthony Miller caught a 28-yard reception in the endzone
Mental stamina appeared to be a factor once again for a defense that has allowed a total of 46 fourth-quarter points through the opening three games and ranked 31st overall and last in scoring in the NFL heading into Week Four.
“I talked to a sports psychologist this offseason and he said ‘momentum is a creation of your mind’,” said Jeff Reinebold on Inside the Huddle.
“I can see it in the Falcons, it’s like ‘oh my god, here we go again’. You know how they say winning is habitual and losing is habitual? Well losing the way the Falcons are losing is almost insidious, it gets in the team and it’s almost like a virus.”
The frustration lies in the inability to see out games unravelling so much good work. It would be a different story were we talking about a New York Jets side in turmoil, but the Falcons have lost games they should have won.
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley made it back-to-back 100 yard receiving games last time out, but when the Bears defense found a way to put a lid on him and chunk plays in the absence of Julio Jones the Falcons could not conjure an answer and the lack of depth showed.
Questions must also be asked of defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and how his unit allowed the Bears to score 20 unanswered points. Blown assignments and the amateurish missed tackle on Allen Robinson for his 37-yard touchdown cannot happen in the NFL, regardless of whether or not the offense’s struggle to sustain plays resulted in defensive fatigue.
“Well, number one, it falls on me in all spaces,” Quinn said after the game. “I want to make sure we’re clear on that. But we’re all in this together.”
Having ranked ninth in total defense in 2017, the Falcons plummeted to 28th in 2018 before rising only slightly to 20th last season.
Midway through the 2019 campaign Quinn addressed the team’s dire start by shifting Morris from wide receivers coach to secondary coach, handing defensive play-calling duties over to him and linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich in the process.
Prior to the move the Falcons had been allowing a second-worst average of 31.3 points per game entering Week Nine, ranked last in sacks with just seven, last on third down and had the second worst redzone touchdown percentage in the league.
Through the final seven games, with Morris and Ulbrich making the decisions, Atlanta allowed a seventh-best 18.1 points per game and were best in the league on third down, as well as boasting the second-best redzone touchdown percentage and a vastly-improved 20 sacks.
What proved an excellent delegation of powers on Quinn’s part raises doubts over his purpose as a defensive-minded head coach.
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His vulnerability has also resurfaced at a time when the head coach credentials of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll are glistening in the shop window.
While it is Quinn on the hot seat, his players have not shied from jumping to his defence, which is usually a sign of things heading in the wrong direction.
“We’ve got his back,” said quarterback Ryan after the Bears defeat. “We’ve got to play better as players and that’s what you have to focus on.
“When things aren’t going good or going well, it’s easy to look around and see what everybody else is doing or where everybody else is screwing up.”
Nobody expects the Falcons to walk into Lambeau Field and oust the Packers, particularly with Aaron Rodgers in the type of form that he is. But what if they did? Win there and who knows what to think.
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Injuries did not help the Falcons in Week Three, with wide receiver Jones (hamstring), cornerback A.J. Terrell (reserve/COVID-19), edge-rushed Takk McKinley (groin), safety and captain Ricardo Allen (hyperextended elbow), cornerback Kendall Sheffield (foot) and linebacker Foye Oluokun (hamstring) all absent against the Bears.
Wide receiver Russell Gage (head), defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (hip), kicker Younghoe Koo (groin) and cornerback Darqueze Dennard (hamstring) meanwhile all picked up injuries in the game, the latter landing on injured reserve on Tuesday.
Jones is expected to be available against the Packers, while the team are also hopeful of having Sheffield and Jarrett back.
It marks the beginning of a defining run for Quinn as Atlanta follow up their trip to Green Bay by hosting Matt Rhule’s transitioning Carolina Panthers team, before visiting the Minnesota Vikings and welcoming the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium either side of a return meeting in Carolina. All, it should be said, awaiting as winnable games.
Blank is a magnanimous man and will be very aware midseason coaching changes rarely equate to immediate results, but, no matter how reluctant, he may soon be left with no choice but to make the call.
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