According to Vegas, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will be the first one fired.
Week 4 pins Atlanta against Green Bay on Monday night, as the Falcons try to avoid an 0-4 start to the season, a feat that hasn’t been done since 1999. However, a win on Monday could turn the whole season around because a favorable stretch follows.
See everybody next Monday night when the Falcons take on the Packers in a very important game for Atlanta.
— William McFadden (@willmcfadden) September 29, 2020
Important is an understatement. It’s franchise-altering.
The difference between the 2020 Atlanta Falcons and the team in 1999 is they aren’t getting blown out this go around. Simply put: the Falcons are struggling to put games away. Atlanta was tied or in the lead for more than 59 minutes against Dallas and just under 58 minutes against Chicago. It’s entirely unacceptable.
This doesn’t just fall on the shoulders of Quinn, but the entire staff and players.
No matter what happens on Monday night in Green Bay, its likely Dan Quinn will stay in Atlanta for two more weeks. If Arthur Blank hasn’t made a move thus far, then he definitely will not during a shortened week.
From The Aftermath: While no decision will come today, #Falcons coach Dan Quinn faces a critical stretch over the next couple weeks. pic.twitter.com/Q176nm6CAq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 28, 2020
While Quinn has lost the respect of most fans, the same cannot be said for his players. Not many coaches can start the season 0-3 after starting the season before 1-7 and still receive respect from the locker room. Look no further than Adam Gase. It speaks volumes of Quinn’s character, which is probably why Blank has yet to pull the plug. However, if that respect doesn’t start turning into wins, it will not matter for long.
However, given the level of competition after Week 4, it’s entirely possible that Atlanta turns things around quickly. Considering the Falcons are two or three plays away from sitting at 2-1, I have all the confidence that the team can get to 5-4 at the bye week.
After Green Bay, Atlanta plays Carolina twice, Detroit, Minnesota, and Denver in the span of five weeks. Their 2-10 combined record is the complete opposite of the Falcons first four opponents, who currently sit at 10-2 entering Week 4.
Since the start of 2015, the Falcons have only dropped two games against Carolina, and with the Panthers being without McCaffery, at least for the first matchup, Atlanta can likely put everything together and finally finish a game off.
Denver is also without their starting quarterback and lost their #1 receiver for the season. Lock is likely to return before they play the Falcons, but it’s tough to say if he will be 100%.
Both Detroit and Minnesota are respectable opponents. The return of Kenny Golladay takes the Lions’ offense to a new level. However, just like the Falcons, they cannot stop anyone on defense. The same can be said for Minnesota. Justin Jefferson has shown potential, but the Vikings have a major concern at the quarterback position, and their defense has been atrocious.
After Green Bay, these five games will likely determine whether Dan Quinn is still the head coach following the Falcons’ bye week.
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