3 key takeaways from Falcons vs. Panthers

After the embarrassing loss to the Panthers, I'm not sure that there is much to be said that hasn't already been said. While I normally try to find positives to take away from games, I just can't think of anything - at all. The performance against the Panthers was putrid, and no one should feel good after an outing like that. As much as it pains me, here are my takeaways from the game.

Rebuilding the interior of the OL has to be a 2016 priority

Sunday's contest against the Panthers was painful to watch, but pales in comparison to the pain our QB was feeling in the ever collapsing pocket. The trio of Levitre, Person and Chester were consistently man-handled in pass protection - often allowing pressure within 2 seconds of the snap. This kind of performance only re-emphasizes the need to build from the "inside out." The performance on Sunday was yet another poor display for our pass blocking and is one of the many reasons this offense has been incompetent for a while now.

Given the other needs this team has, it's going to be hard to fix everything in 2016. However, fixing the interior of the offensive line has to be a priority.

The coaching has to improve

From top to bottom, this Falcons team was outclassed on Sunday. One of the more concerning elements of the game was the way that the players responded. Quinn has often preached about finishing strong, but this team is doing anything but that now. It wasn't just in this game, but going back to the beginning of this losing streak. The philosophy that Quinn has been preaching is just not being followed.

While a good bit of this is on the players, Quinn and his staff need to get some things cleaned up as well. This team is playing sloppy, uninspired football. If the Falcons are going to win any more games this year, the coaching has to get through to the players.

This roster will likely be purged in 2016

We've said it before, but it needs to be said again: this is not Quinn's roster. While he has certainly brought some guys in that he wanted, he mostly inherited this roster from the previous regime - warts and all. In fact, the purge this off-season could be pretty drastic. Players like Tyson Jackson, Paul Worrilow, Roddy White and William Moore could all be cap casualties in 2016. Other players like Devin Hester and Paul Soliai are probably on the bubble as well. This doesn't even touch on some of the fringe players who are battling for a spot every week.

Purging this roster may not be a surprise or even considered a negative, but Sunday's performance only hammered home this point.

What are your takeaways from the game against the Panthers?