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The Falcons had a nice run that lasted more than five seasons, managing to never drop three games in a row under Mike Smith. That changed with the loss to the Jets last night,
If you think about what it takes to win in the NFL and you think of this Falcons team with its penchant for close games, it's remarkable this didn't happen sooner. It speaks to the success that Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith were able to build, and how quickly that success can disappear in an injury-wracked NFL with a thin margin for error. The Falcons are obviously looking as bad as they have in the Smith era, but at least we can tip our cap for what was.
The only upside here? The Falcons are rapidly losing their sources of comfort. I truly believe this team has needed a major wakeup call for a while now, and as the injuries and losses mount, there's nothing to fall back on. This team's back has never been against the wall like this during the regular season. It's time we saw a response.