Atlanta Falcons: Dan Quinn weaving his magic
The Atlanta Falcons are now 3-0. Yet, the season is far from over. With that said, things seem and look different. Last time the Falcons started 3-0, it was in 2012.
If you recall, the Falcons defeated the Chiefs in a tough environment on the road, handed Peyton Manning and the Broncos a loss on national television and then proceeded to beat the Chargers on the road. Eventually, that team wounded up going 8-0 before finally losing.
For some reason, it still felt something was missing.
This time around, under the direction of head coach Dan Quinn, you can sense the rejuvenation. Prior to the hire of Quinn, it was already known that the combo of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones is a lethal one. Three weeks into the 2015 season, it has been proven that a game is never out of reach as long as Matty Ice and Julio are on the field.Â
With that said, things seem and look different under Dan Quinn.
Over the course of three games, we’ve seen that the defense is not dominant but resilient. The defense endured the dink and dunk of the Eagles getting in Week 1, absorbed the threat that is Odell Beckham Jr. in Week 2, and came back with authority against everyone’s favorite team in Dallas in Week 3. The teachings and guidance of Quinn has elevated this team.
What we have seen so far from this edition of the Atlanta Falcons is a team that is going to take some punches. This is not a deep and prolific team. Somehow, that may not be an issue. With Quinn, there is a coach who will make needed adjustments. A coach who won’t let his team show complacency. A team that will not lie down. This is something we rarely saw under the tutelage of Mike Smith.
Now it’s way too early to be thinking Super Bowl. The mindset for the players, coaches and even the fan base is to take it one game at a time. The “fast and physical” Falcons are not here yet entirely but this team looks better than last year even after just three games.
If you followed Quinn and his career as well as listen to his interviews, one thing he wants from this team is to compete for four quarters. What Quinn has built so far is a fighter. A fighter that the league has to deal with for quite sometime.