The Atlanta Falcons entered the 2019 campaign viewed as potential contenders for the NFC South and a spot in the playoffs. However, this team struggled to 1-7 before winning the past two games. There have been questions about head coach Dan Quinn‘s future with the franchise, but he has not been told about a specific “bar” that he must reach to keep his job.
During his presser on Monday, Quinn was asked about what he needed to do to keep his job and avoid being fired. In response, the Falcons coach said that he and Arthur Blank have not discussed this matter at all. Instead, they stick to the upcoming opponents on the schedule.
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“No. We talk weekly about the team, about where we’re at,” Quinn said on Monday. “Our conversations we talk about the team a lot. We’ve never gone further than that.”
Dan Quinn when asked about the expectations that need to be reached regarding his job status. pic.twitter.com/llvYgf9rm9
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) November 18, 2019
Additionally, Quinn also said that “there’s consequences when you do well and consequences when you don’t,” in reference to the way in which the Falcons started the season. This team notched its first win of the season in week 2 during a game against the Eagles but lost every game on the schedule until week 10’s victory against the New Orleans Saints.
This stretch of six consecutive losses put Quinn’s future in doubt and led many to believe that he would be fired during the week 9 bye. However, Blank avoided making changes, and the Falcons have responded with two decisive victories over divisional opponents.
Beating the Saints 26-9 and the Panthers 29-3 in consecutive weeks certainly fired up the fanbase, but was it enough to keep Quinn employed through the end of the season? The answer is unclear, but Blank may have more aspects to consider.
After all, Quinn is the coach that led the Falcons to the Super Bowl following the 2016 season, and this team has been competitive under his leadership. Although the defense has struggled with consistency during the 2019 campaign.
With six games remaining, the Falcons could go on a run and finish the season close to a .500 record, but they will have to take out some tough opponents. Quinn’s team still has to play the Saints one more time, as well as the 9-1 San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (twice), Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Making it out of this final stretch unscathed will not be a simple task for the Falcons, but doing so could ultimately save Quinn’s job. For now, he won’t think about this outcome.
(Photo Credit: Jacob Kupferman/Getty)
