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The Atlanta Falcons’ fanbase is not in the best place right now. There are those who have adopted a zen approach to what’s happening with this team, and those people are probably in a moderately healthy state of mind. The rest of us are, to put it fairly, mad.
Knowing that, and knowing that the Falcons are now eight games into their 2017 season, I figured it was a logical time to see how everyone is feeling about the current coaching staff. We’ll use this to inform more than one piece in the future, so I’d appreciate your feedback.
I have a feeling the lowest score here is going to go to Steve Sarkisian, followed by Keith Armstrong, followed by Dan Quinn, but perhaps I’ll be surprised by the final results.
Dan Quinn
Quinn just took this team to the Super Bowl a year ago, but patience is at a premium among NFL fans, and his slogan-heavy shtick and relentlessly positive outlook wears thin in a real hurry when the team isn’t playing well, as we saw way back in 2015. With the team consistently failing to do the basic things Quinn wants them to do well—whether it be tackling, playing with discipline, or consistently committing to the run--there are bound to be questions about just how effective he is.
I’m personally still at about a 4 with Quinn. I don’t believe he’s in any danger of losing the locker room, he has incredible job security for this year, at the very least, and I think the Falcons will eventually right the ship. It may come too late for a playoff spot, though, and I am frustrated that the messaging isn’t close to the results at the moment.
Poll
On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest score, how confident are you feeling in Dan Quinn as head coach of the Falcons?
This poll is closed
-
18%
5
(337 votes) -
32%
4
(581 votes) -
29%
3
(522 votes) -
12%
2
(225 votes) -
7%
1
(129 votes)
Steve Sarkisian
Sark has been calling better games, on balance, the last couple of weeks. I do think we’d be looking at this game very differently if you took Austin Hooper’s poorly run route and one of the missed Matt Ryan-Julio Jones connections in the end zone out of the equation, because I believe that would’ve been enough to give Atlanta the win.
That said, I’m getting tired of poorly conceived screens, obvious runs up the gut on short yardage against stout run defenses, and the team’s ongoing, deeply frustrating inability to get Tevin Coleman more involved in the passing game. I haven’t been a big believer in Sark to this point, and while I imagine he’ll be here next year and the offense will fare better the longer he’s at the helm, put me down for a 2.
Poll
On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest score, how confident are you feeling in Steve Sarkisian as offensive coordinator for the Falcons?
This poll is closed
-
0%
5
(15 votes) -
1%
4
(25 votes) -
9%
3
(162 votes) -
29%
2
(501 votes) -
59%
1
(1024 votes)
Marquand Manuel
Honestly, I think Manuel has been a rock solid defensive coordinator for the Falcons. His own players have told us time and time again that he’s calling the right plays and preparing his defense for what an offense is going to throw at them, and the execution has been problematic. I believe that, looking at the penalties, blown coverage, and tackling woes. You can’t let Manuel off the hook entirely for what his players are doing, but the defense has gotten better this year, and I think he’s the right man to lead it.
I’ll go 5.
Poll
On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest score, how confident are you feeling in Marquand Manuel as defensive coordinator for the Falcons?
This poll is closed
-
9%
5
(165 votes) -
40%
4
(676 votes) -
33%
3
(558 votes) -
9%
2
(156 votes) -
6%
1
(113 votes)
Keith Armstrong
I’m a long-time Armstrong fan, but special teams coverage and returns have been shaky throughout the year. Even the good returns have been doomed by penalty, and the Falcons have started from inside their own ten yard line far too many times this season for it to be a mere coincidence. Again, Armstrong’s track record suggests things will improve, but I’m not used to singling out teams as a problem spot and I don’t love it.
Give me a 3.
Poll
On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest score, how confident are you feeling in Keith Armstrong as offensive coordinator for the Falcons?
This poll is closed
-
3%
5
(55 votes) -
11%
4
(185 votes) -
34%
3
(549 votes) -
32%
2
(512 votes) -
18%
1
(298 votes)