Falcons next two games reportedly may decide Dan Quinn’s fate

If you’ve been waiting for news that the Atlanta Falcons have relieved head coach Dan Quinn of his duties, you’ll be disappointed. After buying himself some time finishing the 2019 season on a 6-2 run following a 1-7 start, the Falcons under Quinn are now 0-3 for the first time since 2007. The team finds itself in the national spotlight following back-to-back 15+ point blown leads in the 4th quarter, which in itself is an NFL record and an embarrassing milestone for a franchise with too many big losses of late.

With the team having two consecutive 7-9 seasons, and now on the brink of finishing below .500 again, it seems a no-brainer that there needs to be change for this team. Unfortunately of fortunately, depending on your opinion of Quinn and appetite for midseason changes, Quinn being relieved of duty doesn’t seem as close to fruition as one would hope, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

In case you don’t want to watch the video, here’s what Rapoport had to say:

“Nothing is happening today, and at least for Dan Quinn, it means he’s likely getting another chance,” Rapoport said. “Next week they have the Monday-nighter against the Packers, obviously tough for any team, and then they have the Carolina Panthers at home. That seems to be the crucial stretch here.

If they continue like they’ve been, if they do not win a game over the next two, then perhaps Arthur Blank will make the decision that he has been fighting off for really more than a year now. He’s had several moments where he could’ve moved on from Dan Quinn and has held firm, has not moved on. Last year they validated that by closing strong and then start this year 0-3. Certainly seems like time is running out for Dan Quinn, especially if they continue to lose the late leads like they have over the past couple of weeks.”

To be honest, this is all very exhausting. I don’t like to compare the real world to the football world, as they do differ, but I can’t imagine how many of us would continuously be given second chances after the kind of run Dan Quinn and the Falcons have been on since the start of the 2018 season. Normally, I’d be far from panicking three games into a season, but come on, we’ve been here before. We know the script. The Falcons will start poorly and rally late for no other reason than to play themselves out of a top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

If we’re honest with ourselves, moving on from a head coach during a season almost never helps the situation on the field. We need to prepare ourselves for another disappointing season, no matter who the head coach is. The reason the move needs to be made is because management needs to admit they made a mistake. I like Dan Quinn, I really do, but as a defensive-minded head coach on a team where he does little for the porous defense, why are you still here?

We had some good times, a great party in 2016, and now it’s time to clean up the mess left behind.