The Falcoholic
The Atlanta Falcons lost 0-30, the offense is flailing, and coaches are being fired. It’s only Week 4.
The special teams unit can’t make a kick or field a kick. It’s only Week 4.
Zac Robinson and Raheem Morris provided differing quotes when asked about the offense’s predictability in their press conferences, which were held only minutes apart. It’s only Week 4.
The team has set a must-win precedent against the Washington Commanders with its behavior. It’s only Week 4.
It’s the fourth week of the NFL season, and Flowery Branch is operating like it’s December. The loss to the Panthers was embarrassing, but does the season really hang in the balance against Dan Quinn and his team? That depends on your perspective.
Mathematically, no, the season isn’t close to being over if the Falcons fall again. They would still control their destiny to secure a winning season and a spot in the playoffs. It’s easy to wallow in the current despair, but last season, many convinced themselves that a 6-3 start meant the team was destined for the playoffs. The NFL season is long, and it’s easy to miss the forest for the trees. Yes, the current product on offense is untenable, but the idea that it is unsalvageable is dramatic until we see more of this team.
Sure, numbers say one thing, but actions speak louder than words numbers. The team fired WR coach Ike Hilliard. Ray-Ray McCloud says jobs are on the line, and it’s time to wake up. It doesn’t matter what the math says; culturally, the Falcons will be cooked with another embarrassing loss. That is the tone the team set with how they’ve chosen to operate since the Carolina game ended. I’m not sure if this was the healthiest reaction or if it signifies that real change is coming, but it has to come because that’s the bar that’s been set. Players shouldn’t need a wake-up call this early into the season.
Extremism sucks, and it’s a terrible way to have to engage with the game of football, but here we are, and there’s no one to blame but the team. I understand frustrated fans who feel fed up with a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season in nearly a decade, and I empathize with fans who want to see their young quarterback grow and give this team a chance before joining in the doom and gloom. There’s no right or wrong way to feel about this team, but remaining level-headed will help the picture remain clear. There are so many potential outcomes that we genuinely have no idea where this season is heading (yet).
This is not the start the team wanted, but that doesn’t mean that it has to define how the rest of the season goes. The NFL excels at flipping the script and making early-season predictions look silly. If the lackluster performances continue, then we’ll know that what we’ve...
