Speculation regarding Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn’s job status was sent into overdrive Sunday afternoon after the 23-16 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. According to sources, Quinn remained in the locker room after the players exited.
If the reports are true, the 50-year-old Quinn would finish his Falcons’ tenure with a 43-42 regular-season record and 3-2 in the playoffs.
Multiple outlets are reporting #Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will be fired in the next twenty-four hours, “barring a change of heart.”
— The Atlanta Voice (@theatlantavoice) October 11, 2020
The team has not confirmed the news.
Also, general manager, Thomas Dimitroff’s status will be evaluated. #CARvsATL #TheAtlantaVoice #NFL
“No, I don’t,” Quinn said when asked if changes would be made within his coaching staff. “We’re going to collectively get fixed and address what we need to, but, collectively, we’ll all be part of that solution of playing better. Not one person. It’s all three phases, coaches, players, everybody, we’re in the same boat and in it together. All hands on deck to help. No need placing blame anywhere than right at one another to say what could we do better and that’s what we’ll do.”
However, an impressive finish to the 2019 season which included a 29-22 road win over the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers saved his job. Atlanta went 6-2 in the second half. In December, Falcons owner Arthur Blank announced that Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff would return.
While many Falcons fans have taken to social media to raise the issues surrounding the dismal and lackluster start, this much is clear:
- The Atlanta Falcons are 0-5 for the first time since 1997.
- Dan Quinn’s record since 2018 is 14-23. In the last two seasons, the Falcons finished 7-9. Both seasons were beset by injuries and slow starts.
- The Falcons were the only defense to give up 30 points or more in the first four games of the 2020 season.
- In the Week Two loss against the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta became the first team to lose a game while scoring 39 points without committing any turnovers.
“One hundred percent I do, and doesn’t make it easier,” Quinn said when asked if his message was still resonating with his players. “They’re upset. They’re frustrated, just like we are. And at the end of it we have to make sure — there’s a lot of ingredients right, but we have to make sure, just like I said, as players, coaches, collectively together, we’ve got to be able to leave our mark on the wins, play calls, big plays, the execution in the moment, when they come up, we have to be able to nail that. No excuses on our end. We have to be able to correct the things we need to correct, and that’s where our focus will be this week heading into Minnesota.”
Even though Quinn led the Falcons to Super Bowl LI and the divisional round of the 2017 NFL Playoffs, it appears time has run out on the Quinn administration in Atlanta.
“Honestly, it’s the furthest thing from my mind,” Quinn said of Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s assumptions. “It’s his job to evaluate, but for me it’s coaching, and I’ll work as hard as I can to align our team to play like we’re capable of playing.”
