Mike Florio points out Rich McKay’s role in Falcons failures

Fans, sports talk radio, and other media personalities are taking their turns to share their opinions on who is at fault for the Falcons’ failures this season.

Desmond Ridder deserves most of the blame, in my opinion. He consistently hamstrung the team, and it culminated on Sunday with his sixth turnover in the red zone, which leads the league.

Not only has Ridder been in the bottom three of turnovers and turnover-worthy plays, but he’s done so in the most critical parts of the field, where three points would be welcomed.

However, some can’t compartmentalize that and shift blame to Arthur Smith, who is seemingly coaching for his job over these next three weeks. Now, don’t get me wrong, Smith is absolutely deserving of a share of the blame, but it shouldn’t be as much as Ridder.

Let’s go a little higher next. Terry Fontenot is culpable in all of this too. At the very least, he signed off on the Falcons decision to put all of their eggs in Ridder’s basket. More than likely, it’s a collaborative effort behind the scenes. Some voices are going to weigh heavier than others, but to say a club’s GM is not at fault for the state of the franchise is either blind ignorance or soft in the head.

We aren’t stopping there, though. Rich McKay is going unscathed in all of this, which doesn’t sit right with me. Thankfully, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out his liability in the Falcons’ failures.

On if Arthur Blank is thinking about making changes, “I included in that reset button the guy who has still gone on to have a successful career in the NFL despite the fact that he drafted you (Chris Simms), Rich McKay,” Florio said.

“You (McKay) are part of the problem. McKay falls into that very rare category that is prevalent with a lot of teams where if things go well you’re basking in the glow and if things don’t, ‘Hey, I’m not in football operations, don’t fire me.’ But he’s the guy who’s whispering to Arthur Blank this is what you should do.”

Rich McKay deserves the blame as well. If Arthur Blank is going to bring the axe down, McKay needs to go as well. He’s not being held accountable like Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot are but is like the King Whisperer in the Falcons owner’s ear.

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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire