Fixing the Falcons, heck, coach Dan Quinn said he’s got this.
“It’s not a complicated as you might think,” Quinn said about solutions to the defending NFC champion’s three-game losing streak.
He has boiled it down to performing better in third downs – offensively and defensively – and scoring touchdowns in the red zone. The first chance at correction will come when the Falcons (3-3) face the New York Jets (3-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Falcons added extra practice time for third-down situations and more red zone work over the past week.
There are a few other areas of needed improvement that Quinn, who’s in his third season, neglected to point out.
The team is not creating turnovers, the play-calling has been less than stellar and the defense is hemorrhaging rushing yardage. Extra practice periods, where there is no live tackling, probably can’t fix all of those issues.
There’s also the matter of untimely penalties.
“We’ve had three interceptions called back on penalty, which is certainly disappointing,” Quinn said. “That’s three more drives for the offense that we’re not playing.”
Quinn believes the extra practice time on third downs and red-zone plays will help pull the team out of it’s slump, which includes the offense not scoring a meaningful touchdown over the past six quarters.
“There’s a lot about our team that we like and those are two (areas) in specific that we know we can improve and that’s what we intend on doing,” Quinn said. “There’s no magic wand to wave over it. We go to work on those things that we want to address.”
Last season, the offense averaged 33.8 points per game and set a record for having 13 different players catch touchdowns. They are scoring just 21.3 points per game (16th in the league) and All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones has just one touchdown, a late garbage-time score against the Patriots with the Falcons down 23-0 and just over four minutes to play.
The defense isn’t doing it’s job, either.
After six games last season, the Falcons had scored 35 points off turnovers. This season, they have just 14 points off turnovers in the same number of games.
Also, during the losing streak, the opposing offenses have rushed for 117, 138 and 162 yards against the young defense that was expected to make major strides after last season.
Even the special teams have been off. There was a botched punt snap against the Dolphins and a blocked field goal attempt against the Patriots.
Quinn, who was given control over the personnel, knows it’s on him to get the team moving forward.
“I think the best message is just worry about the fight that you’re in,” Quinn said. “We have such a process that we go through to get ready. When you try to look too far down the line or too far back, those are the things that can jam you up emotionally.”
Quinn won’t use the dreaded H-word, as in Super Bowl Hangover. It’s really not that simple for him.
“When you’re really right into the moment emotionally and getting ready ... those are things that come back to punch you square in the face, when you’re looking ahead or looking too far back,” Quinn said. “If you’re looking back that means you are not focused on what you’re trying to do. When you are looking ahead, you are not (focused).”
Jets coach Todd Bowles, who also interviewed for the Falcons’ head coaching position that went to Quinn after the 2014 season, still sees a very talented team.
“In all, they’ve hit a few snags at the end, but they were in every ballgame,” Bowles said. “You see the same team that went to the Super Bowl. Maybe they have not made as many plays at this time, but they are explosive.”
Quinn said he is digging in.
“We are going to do what we do and do it better,” Quinn said. “Collectively, that’s all three phases. When there are specific areas that we want to improve on, we are going to put in the time to do that.”
Quinn stands by the team that he helped to pick.
Quinn continues to point out that there is thin line in the NFL between raging success and being 8-8, like he was after his first season in 2015 after a 6-1 start.
“When you play well, you have to stay sharp and stay on it,” Quinn said. “When you are going through a patch where you are not playing as well as you want, you better stay sharp and make sure you address the things you want to address.”
Quinn is a defensive line coach by trade, but has plans to help first-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
“The best way that I can help is by showing how some of the defenses are playing,” Quinn said. “That’s where my expertise is and where a defender may be in coverage or what they may do in a certain situation, this gives that coverage a lot of trouble.”
So, the Falcons, who’ve only played three superior quarters of football this season are either under-performing or they are really not as good as most think.
“We do have a talented group who are tougher than hell, want to battle and get it right,” Quinn said. “They stand for the right things. It is my job to get it out of them. That’s the part of coaching that I love. To take a guy absolutely as far as we can. In this case, a team.”
But Quinn knows the numbers through six games are not good.
“We are sitting right in the middle at 3-3,” Quinn said. “Our statistics in a lot of areas are right in the middle. Neither are good enough. If you want to go just on, based on statistics, it’s not good enough.
“If you want to go just on me coaching it, that part I love.”
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