The most in-depth exploration of Dan Quinn as a coach and person yet

In a climate where glowing features on the Atlanta Falcons are suddenly, weirdly ubiquitous, this Judy Batitsta pieceon Dan Quinn stands out.

Quinn's belief is simple, honed from years of tumbling over the sofa pretending to be Sam "Bam" Cunningham while scoring touchdowns against his older siblings in their Morristown, New Jersey, home, and by the training that birthed a college record in the hammer throw. Everything can be boiled down to a competition, with the desired end result not to produce misery and failure for a loser, but for everyone in the game to raise the level of play. It is a combination that might be pleasing to both Bill Belichick and Up with People.

If that passage alone doesn't convince you to read the piece, I can't help you. Quinn comes across as a level-headed, hard-charging coach with throwback sensibilities, and Battista's piece offers a pretty comprehensive view of his coaching philosophy. Reading it, you'll be struck by why the Falcons were so interested in this man, who has a plan and an unwavering belief in his own ability to (forgive the word choice) execute it.

No one profile is going to capture what Quinn has done for the organization thus far, of course, because it's not any one thing he's done. The Falcons are a better-coached, more talented football team in 2015 who have had a little luck break their way, and that's not all on Quinn. It's clear, though, that his philosophy change and acumen have been exactly what this team needed after lackluster 2013 and 2014 campaigns. Given a year to instill his outlook in this team and infuse the roster with more talent in 2016, it's fair to expect great things from this Falcons team. That's a nice change.