Falcons owner ‘disappointed’ but supports Quinn
HOUSTON — Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he does not see the need for a coaching change despite his team plummeting to 1-4 following a 53-32 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.
“No,” Blank told ESPN when asked whether a coaching change is needed. “We’ve got a lot of football left. This staff has performed before. And my hope is they can fix what needs to be fixed and start winning some games.”
Asked what has bothered him most about his team’s start, which includes a three-game losing streak, Blank responded, “It’s not one thing. Our players are capable of playing better than they are. They have in the past. And I’m sure they will in the future.
“Obviously, the coaching is not where it needs to be. They’re challenging themselves, questioning themselves, examining everything they know how to examine. That’s all they can do is work really hard at it, take this as seriously as they can, and feel the pain.”
The Falcons entered the season with high expectations after limping through an injury-filled 2018 campaign. Coach Dan Quinn parted ways with all three coordinators, took over the defensive playcalling, and hired Dirk Koetter and Ben Kotwica as his offensive and special-teams coordinators, respectively. Quinn said last week that he was happy with the coaching staff and had no plans of making a change at coordinator.
The Falcons have lost a few key players to serious injuries: Strong safety Keanu Neal suffered a season-ending Achilles tear, first-round draft pick Chris Lindstrom suffered a broken right foot and was placed on injury reserve, and punter Matt Bosher was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. But the offseason emphasis on establishing depth was supposed to help compensate for key injuries.
Now the reeling Falcons head to Arizona next week with an 0-3 road record.
“My pain is unimportant,” Blank said. “The fans’ pain is very important. And I certainly can feel all of that. They’re deeply disappointed. The coaches are disappointed. The players are disappointed. And, obviously, I am as well.”
When pressed on why he has so much confidence in Quinn, Blank didn’t hesitate to support his fifth-year coach.
“As I just got done saying, the staff has been here for a long time and they have performed at a high level in the past,” Blank said. “And there’s no reason to think they can’t figure out what needs to be done and go from there.”
The Falcons still have a chance to salvage the season since they have not played a division game yet. Their first NFC South game is Nov. 10 at New Orleans, and all six of their division games are in November and December. They essentially would have to run the table on those games based on how bleak the outlook appears right now. Not to mention the Falcons play two explosive offenses — the Rams and the Seahawks — consecutively at home to close out October.
“Well, the team needs to play at a much higher level than it’s currently playing,” Blank said. “Hopefully that equals the playoffs. But I’m not worried about the playoffs right now. I’m worried about winning games. That’s all I’m worried about.”
Quinn has a 37-32 overall record. The Falcons are 18-19 in the regular season since appearing in Super Bowl LI.
Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff were signed to three-year contract extensions last July through 2022.