EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Falcons owner Arthur Blank was hoping for a breakthrough for his team in the playoffs against the New York Giants on Sunday.
But after a gutsy first half, the Falcons were defeated in their first postseason game for the third time over the past four seasons.
After the 2008 season, they lost to Arizona in the wild-card round. Last season, as the No. 1 seed in the NFC, they were routed 48-21 by Green Bay at the Georgia Dome.
Sunday, the offense designed to create explosive plays – gains of 20 yards or more –did not score a touchdown and didn’t move the ball inside the opponents’ 20-yard line until their last drive.
After the Falcons were eliminated from the playoffs, in a Q&A with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Blank discussed the game, the coaching staff, the Julio Jones trade and how the Falcons will move forward.
Q: Was this a step backwards for the franchise?
A: I don't think the team took a step back, but I think obviously, we're disappointed. Not getting into the playoffs is one thing. [Going] 0-3 is not where anybody wants us to be. It is disappointing. I think [head coach Mike Smith] and [general manager] Thomas [Dimitroff] will do what they need to do in terms of assessing players, coaches and what we need to do to make sure that we can go forward.
Q: Do you feel like you had a better team than what you saw out there today?
A: Absolutely. Obviously, all of us are disappointed in not scoring any offensive points.
Q: Was it troubling that the team looked flat?
A: I don't think we were flat. We were competitive in the first half and we had an opportunity there with a fourth-and-some-change to make it. Then the game got out hand obviously in the fourth quarter . . . They make big explosive plays and they made a couple on us. There were opportunities that we didn't take advantage of.
Q: You all were supposed to be more explosive this year. People are going to say that the Julio [Jones] trade was a mistake. Was it?
A: No. Julio has stepped up and done just about everything that we wanted him to do this year. He's going to be an outstanding receiver in the league. He's a tough young man and a great blocker. He's certainly proved his worth this year. There were clearly signs throughout the year of his explosive capabilities. You saw that in a number of games. You didn't see it today, but you saw it in a number of games.
Q: With the team being so young did the lockout hurt the development of this year’s team?
A: I think every team in the NFL went through the same calendar that we went through. The fact that every team was affected, that's not a reason for our performance in January.
Q: Do you feel you have the right people in the key positions to lead this team?
A: I think we have the right people in position because I think what they will do is challenge themselves and ask all of the right questions. They would be the wrong people if they said, 'we tried hard, we didn't execute and we'll get better next year.' I don't think that's an answer. The answer is that we're going to evaluate the team, the players, the coaches and why we didn't perform in the personnel area and why we didn't perform at the level that we're capable of. The beauty of Smitty and Thomas is that they will do that. It's not their nature to be defensive. They are thoughtful and bright and care about the franchise and winning. They will do what I would want them to do, which is be objective and go through a thorough analysis and not be emotional about it.
About the Author
