All offseason, the Atlanta Falcons coaches and players talked a confident and at times, big game. So far this season, with a 6-9 record, they haven’t lived up to the expectations that they set. Especially with the changes they made this offseason, the overall confidence from the team and optimistic outlook by some media members heading into the season.
Coming off of a 2018 season where the Falcons finished a disappointing 7-9, head coach Dan Quinn made several changes to his coaching staff, the most notable changes being at offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. Former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was replaced by Dirk Koetter, special-teams coordinator Keith Armstrong was replaced by Ben Kotwica and Quinn took overdefensive play-calling for former defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel. So far, these changes don’t seem to have panned out for the better.
Heading into the final game of the 2019 NFL season, the Falcons will face off against their division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on the road in Tampa. If the Falcons lose this game, they will finish with a 6-10 record and Quinn’s seat will be even hotter than it is currently. Should the Falcons win this game, they will have matched last season’s win total, ended on a four-game winning streak and have won six out of the last eight games. It won’t be easy though to beat a Buccaneers team that has already beaten Atlanta back in November, as well as played much better the second half of the season.
Quinn spoke about briefly about the similarities between the two teams and how it won’t be easy to win.
“For us, we know Sunday is going to be a battle,” said Quinn. “Two teams I thought have played well for the second half of the season. Both teams have identical records at 5-2 over the last seven. Both teams are full of featured guys, have a lot of fight and want to compete. Our sole focus this week is on Tampa. The last matchup for us didn’t go according to plan, lots of things we wanted to get corrected and looking forward to heading down there this weekend to get rocking.”
While the Buccaneers have been playing better as of late, one thing that they have struggled with immensely this season are turnovers. They are -11 in turnover margin and Buccaneers starting quarterback Jameis Winston leads the NFL in interceptions with 28. Though they turn the ball over frequently, Tampa has one of the best passing offenses in the NFL. Tampa’s passing offense is 1st in the NFL and Winston leads the league in passing yards with 4,908. He also is 2nd in the league in passing touchdowns with 31. So, the Falcons, coming in with 22nd ranked pass defense in the NFL will need to be ready for Tampa and take advantage of any turnover “gifts” from Winston. Or else, the Buccaneers’ offense could get hot and dominate.
Quinn spoke about the big play potential of the Buccaneers’ offense earlier this week and what they’ve learned from the last time they faced this offense.
“Well, I think it was the big plays, right? That was the thing to me that jumped out more than anything,” said Quinn. “Especially the long touchdown pass where we had a technique error. Let’s face it, this is an explosive team. They’re number one in the league in explosive plays for a reason. They know how to attack, and it’s been that way with this group for a few years now. That has totally come through.”
If the Falcons are able to win this game, it could be a major help for Quinn and his case to be retained after the season. Though Atlanta owner Arthur Blank may already have an idea of how he wants to proceed, this second half run by the Falcons could have huge impact on that decision and what they do this offseason.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan spoke about the effect a strong second half can have on a team.
“I think the biggest thing is, especially with a young football team, is that it creates belief,” said Ryan. “Knowing that you can go into these tough places against really good teams and get the job done. I think that belief is very powerful. Having the mindset that you know you are capable of getting the job done is big. I think that more so than anything, that is what carries over. There is a belief that we can beat a good football team moving forward and we have enough pieces and the right people to be able to do that.”
The Falcons will travel to Tampa to face the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, December 29th at 1PM EST. The game will be televised on FOX.
Written by Erik Slaby
