Falcons - Colts reactions and outlooks from The Falcoholic staff

Is this a deep hole or a pothole?

I came into this week wary of being hurt, but after circling this game for a while from every angle I could think of, it looked like a winnable game. And it was...until the Falcons ruined their chances with an all-too-inevitable mix of mistakes. The interception from Matt Ryan was one of only a couple of miscues for him, but that, the endless parade of penalties, and defensive miscues were enough to doom them.

That’s the problem with these Falcons and all the firepower they’ve assembled: It doesn’t mean much if you’re constantly digging yourself into holes you can’t get back out of. We’d all love to see this team flip a switch, but my fear is that they’ll be turning on the lights in a deep, dark mine. - Dave Choate

Excuse me, is there still room on the “Fire Dan Quinn” bandwagon?

Short of just a few emotional outbursts, I have always believed in Dan Quinn. That belief has varied in strength at times, of course. Today I understand why Quinn had some of the highest odds to be fired, why some national talking heads don’t believe in him, and yes, why some fans desperately want him fired. I saw the same problems that have always plagued Quinn, and even prior coaches. How are the Falcons putting up 16 (!) penalties in one game in year five of Quinn?

Coaches and players have both said the problems are fixable after both losses this season. Should that make fans optimistic or worried? I’m worried that a veteran head coach has fixable problems. I’m worried that a veteran head coach has the same fixable problems as other bad coaches. I’m worried that a veteran head coach keeps having the same fixable problems. I’m worried that a veteran head coach can’t fix the fixable problems.

Quinn can talk about being fired up or rock some new t-shirt with an aggressive slogan. I’m ready to see wins. I’m ready to see how Quinn produces results much different from Mike Smith. I’m ready to see Quinn show he’s not taking the same career projection as Mike Smith, peaking then having no idea what to do when injuries and ineffectiveness hit. I’m ready to see the exact same storylines from 2014 aren’t repeating in 2019. More than anything, I’m ready for football to be fun again. — Matt Chambers

Oh no, we suck again!

There’s not much to say. We are three weeks into the 2019 season and following a false sense of confidence last week, the Falcons again showed that they’re not ready to compete for anything meaningful. We’ve probably lost Keanu Neal for the year and our MVP quarterback Matt Ryan leads the league in interceptions.

I want to be optimistic, but I don’t know what to say besides just hope that they turn it around. Thomas Dimitroff and Dan Quinn have to be officially on the hotseat now, as the team has played sloppy in each of the first three games. It’s embarrassing, and like many of you, I’m simply fed up. Between totaling 16 penalties in a game and targeting tight end Luke Stocker more than wide receiver Calvin Ridley, I’m not sure what else to say. I guess pretend you’re a Miami Dolphins fan, that may help you feel better. - Evan Birchfield

It appears the Falcons are extremely back on their bulls**t

That’s an apt summary of how I feel about this team right now. - Jeanna Thomas

Mental and coaching errors overcome talent

The Falcons have all the talent they need to be successful. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Austin Hooper and Devonta Freeman make for one heck of an offensive lineup. Grady Jarrett, Deion Jones, Desmond Trufant and Ricardo Allen give you enough talent on defense to at least be competent. Yet, this team is being undone by awful interceptions, a deluge of penalties and an offensive coordinator who loves Luke Stocker as a downfield target. If they can correct these types of errors, there’s no reason to believe they can’t beat any team in the league. Right now, though, I’m not sure this coaching staff is capable of making those corrections. - David Walker

We have no idea who this team is

Atlanta took all the goodwill generated from a pretty-good-but-flawed win over an NFC contender and rival in the Philadelphia Eagles and flushed it down the toilet. They wore shirts all week declaring that they were “BDMTHRFCKR”s, then got blown off the turf by the 1-1 Indianapolis Colts in the first half. This team is an enigma. They have the talent to compete with anyone, but seemingly don’t even prepare for AFC opponents—as Dan Quinn’s horrendous record against them can attest. The defensive gameplan against the Colts was a total joke: Jacoby Brissett didn’t even have to start working until the second half, completing 16 straight passes to wide-open underneath receivers. The inconsistency of this team is maddening, and we’re probably in for a lot more of it this season. - Kevin Knight

They’ll get better, but the ceiling worries me

I feel like the Atlanta Falcons’ performance Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts was indicative of who this team is right now: a wildly inconsistent bunch that strikes lightning as often as it walks under ladders and breaks mirrors. There is a much better team in there somewhere, but right now, they’re too undisciplined and streaky to really tap into that full potential. The offense, in particular, showed in the second half against the Colts what power they can wield. It’s just baffling that they can’t do that on a consistent basis. The defense showed against Philadelphia it can play a complete game and match a really good offense blow-for-blow most of the time. Against Indy? It was embarrassing in that first half. This team has no consistent setting, and that worries me. They’ll improve as the year goes on and the talent begins to mesh, no doubt, but by how much? - Cory Woodroof