Falcons need to figure things out
The Atlanta Falcons are struggling to look ike the team that rolled to Super Bowl LI a year ago. After beginning the season 3-0, many believed that the Falcons were well on their way to another NFC South and a bye in the playoffs, only to see things fall apart over the past two games.
After losing at home to the Buffalo Bills in a stunning upset, the Falcons had the luxury of a bye week before heading back onto the field against the Miami Dolphins. Following a 17-0 third-quarter lead, things looked right in Atlanta. Then, incredibly, the Falcons allowed 20 consecutive points and watched their fate sealed on a late Matt Ryan interception.
The result? A 3-2 record that includes very narrow wins over the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, one coming down to a controversial goal line review. Still, per NFL.com, head coach Dan Quinn doesn’t seem very concerned about the recent losses.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a letdown. It’s not a case of like a letdown,” Quinn said when asked why teams are able to close the game in the second half. “Sometimes, and I’m not saying this is [the case], but you can over-try. I’m trying so hard not to foul up, and you’re not playing into your own self. We’ll look at everything. We looked at the four games that we had. We liked some closes that we had…”
The questions around this team aren’t about talent, but rather mindset and a change in the coaching staff. Last year, the Falcons rolled offensively behind coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who coaxed an MVP season out of Ryan while getting huge campaigns from Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman and a host of supporting cast members. This year, Shanahan’s replacement, Steve Sarkisian, has had less success. Through five games, Ryan has thrown for 1,357 yards with six touchdowns and a matching number of interceptions.
Going forward, the Falcons have to get the details straight. This weekend, they travel to Foxborough for a Super Bowl rematch with the New England Patriots. New England has the worst defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed, but still has an elite offense led by the trio of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Brandin Cooks. If the Falcons figure together back on track, beating the Patriots and somewhat avenging their Super Sunday loss on national television would be a good place to start.
Atlanta isn’t in peril, especially with the potentially season-ending injury to Aaron Rodgers for the Green Bay Packers. Still, getting home-field advantage would be huge for this dome team, and if they don’t start winning more consistently, the Falcons are going to find that tough to come by.
