LONDON – Falcons owner Arthur Blank admitted to being frustrated with the 2-5 start, but remained optimistic that the team could forge a turnaround on the eve the franchise's first-ever regular-season game played outside of North America.
“I think the coaches and players all know that they have a greater capacity than a 2-5 record,” Blank told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday. “That’s a source of frustration for all of us. We have all of the tools that we need to win tomorrow and put together a winning streak after that.”
The Falcons will host the Detroit Lions (5-2) as the home team at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at historic Wembley Stadium.
The game is a part of the NFL’s 2014 International Series. The Falcons played an exhibition games in Tokyo, Japan in 2000 and 2005, defeating Dallas and Indianapolis at the Tokyo Dome.
The Falcons played Buffalo at Toronto last season.
Blank, when speaking the crowd at the Fan Fest at Trafalgar Square , reminded them that the Falcons were the home team.
“We’re having a lot of fun, but it’s going to be more fun when we have a ‘W’ tomorrow,” Blank said. “We came here to win. We had a great week of preparation. The coaches are happy. The players are happy. Everybody in London has been incredible in terms of being great hosts and hostesses for us.”
Blank doesn’t regret that the Falcons game up a home game to take part in the series, which includes three games this season.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the NFL International Series and we want to make sure we turn it around with a W,” Blank said.
The Falcons opened the season 2-1 and had impressive wins over New Orleans and Tampa Bay. The team has dropped four straight and
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
injuries have started to mount along the offensive line. Rookie James Stone, who was undrafted out of Tennessee, is set to make his first NFL start against Detroit's vaunted tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
“Like Matt Ryan said, we’re a game and a half out of the lead in our division,” Blank said. “We are focused on that. We have all but two of our divisional games ahead of us. We won the first two and we have to win a bunch more and we understand that.”
Blank is aware of the importance of Sunday’s game. Since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff season in 1990, no team has rebounded from a 2-6 record to make the playoffs. The 2002 New York Jets came back from 2-5 to make the playoffs at 9-7.
The 2010 Seattle Seahawks, who won the NFC West with a 7-9 record, started 4-3.
“It’s important to have a strong showing on the field tomorrow,” Blank said. “We are playing in an incredible atmosphere; in a fabulous stadium. It’s world renown. So we want to make sure that we put on our very best efforts and we will.
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