After One Game For The Atlanta Falcons, Dan Quinn Is Already Jittery

The Atlanta Falcons lost their season opener Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium 38-25 to the Seattle Seahawks, and coach Dan Quinn already is panicking.

Terence Moore | Sep 14, 2020

The Atlanta Falcons began last season 1-7, and they managed only a 1-4 start during the year before that.

Not good.

In fact, the Falcons finished 7-9 both times.

Uh oh.

We'll get to Falcons coach Dan Quinn in a moment.

First, in case you missed it, the Falcons were clobbered 38-25 Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium by the Seattle Seahawks. Which begs the question: Have the Falcons stopped Russell Wilson yet, or is he still torching the Falcons' defense with pinpoint throws between an opportunistic sprint here and there?

Yes, it was only the first game of the season for both teams.

Yes, the Falcons have 15 weekends left to do more good than bad in an attempt to reach the playoffs.

You know what else?

Yes, it's time for the Falcons and their fans to worry.

After those back-to-back flops in seasons prior to this one, the Falcons did a whole bunch of things to correct the situation.

They actually began down the stretch last year, when Falcons owner Arthur Blank decided not to fire Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff. In addition, Quinn shuffled his assistants around to different positions.

Then, during the offseason, the Falcons got rid of long-time contributors such as running back Devonta Freeman and cornerback Desmond Trufant, both of whom helped push them into the Super Bowl four years ago, and they added newcomers such as cornerback A.J. Terrell as their first-round pick from the 2020 NFL draft and pass rusher Dante Fowler through free agency from the Los Angeles Rams.

The Falcons still didn't win their opener.

Up next for the Falcons, the Dallas Cowboys.

Afterward, the Falcons will play the rest of what the consensus of NFL experts consider is the league's toughest schedule.

So worrying is justified for the Falcons.

But panic?

Maybe, but this isn't a maybe: Quinn is panicking.

See this week's "Saving The Falcons" video.

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Published Sep 14, 2020

TERENCE MOORE

I started as a professional sports journalist in 1978 at the Cincinnati Enquirer after I graduated from Miami (Ohio) University, and I’ve been doing the same thing ever since. I also appear on national television, and I’m part of a weekly TV show in Atlanta. I’ve done everything from ESPN to MSNBC to The Oprah Winfrey Show. As for writing, I’ve gone from working for major newspapers in San Francisco and Atlanta to operating as a national columnist at AOL Sports, MLB.com, Sports On Earth.com and CNN.Com. I’ve covered a slew of sporting events. I’ve done 30 Super Bowls, numerous World Series and NBA Finals games, Final Fours, several Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and other auto races, major prize fights and golf tournaments, college football bowl games and more. I’ve also won national, state and local awards along the way.