The Dolphins comeback was the second-biggest of the Dan Quinn era

We’re going to be talking about this loss for a very long time. I’m hopeful it’ll be in the “remember when we thought this Falcons team would be bad because of that Dolphins loss?” vein instead of the “remember the moment we knew it was all going to go wrong?” vein, but either way, it’s going to go down as one of the most remarkable, devastating losses of the Dan Quinn era.

Without diving into Super Bowl references more than we have to, I have to point out that this is the second-worst loss of the Dan Quinn era in many regards. The Falcons’ 17-0 lead at halftime was the second-largest lead they’ve surrendered under DQ, and considering the caliber of opponent, it has a strong argument for the single worst loss we’ve seen over the last three years. Atlanta went from a strong first half to a completely overmatched, sloppy football team in the second half as Miami scored 20 unanswered points, matching their season high.

That ties last year’s loss to the Chargers, when Atlanta had a 27-10 lead they ultimately lost in overtime. At least the Falcons got three points in that one, though, before rolling over. They didn’t score in the second half here.

The Falcons have a tough road matchup against a shaky New England Patriots team next, and they basically have to right the ship or risk falling way behind the Panthers in the NFC South race. It’s a cliche, sure, but this is the kind of loss that either forces you to get better or dooms your entire season, and the Falcons had better figure out which one it is with quickness.