The Falcons haven’t had a three game stretch like this on defense since 2003

The Atlanta Falcons are on a run of defensive ineptitude that I’d like to say we’ve never seen before. Sadly, though, we have.

The last time the Falcons allowed 36-plus points in three straight weeks, they were in the midst of a seven game losing streak back in 2003, the year that would get Dan Reeves fired. During that run, where they lost 39-26, 36-0, and 45-17 to the Vikings, Rams, and Saints, the Falcons had a far more inept offense but still a brutally bad D.

The Falcons wound up going 5-11 that year, winning two of their final three games with Wade Phillips at the helm, and that team had few parallels to the Atlanta squad of 2018. This year’s team is a much better offense with a defense that was longer on talent before injuries, but the end result might be much the same.

Of course, we remember that the 2004 Falcons made a genuine playoff run a year after that ugly 2003, and we’ll hope for much the same in 2019. If, of course, the Falcons don’t manage to pull off that miraculous turnaround here in 2018.