Atlanta Falcons must show fight for remainder of season

After the humiliating 38-0 defeat to the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons have hit rock bottom.

The only way is up for the Atlanta Falcons. That’s the positive outlook for this team after it hit rock bottom at Bank of America Stadium in Sunday’s humiliating loss to the Carolina Panthers.

If the blowout victory over the Houston Texans in Week 4 was the Falcons’ peak, then the narrative was flipped in Carolina, with Sunday’s loss marking the season’s lowest point to date. It simply can’t get any worse. Right?

“Carolina is the best the league has to offer right now, but our performance was totally unacceptable,” Quinn said, per Andrew Hirsh of AtlantaFalcons.com. “Too many explosive plays defensively that put us way behind, and then (we) couldn’t convert on the opportunities offensively like we’re capable of. Got way behind, and that part was extremely disappointing.”

And he’s right. It’s unacceptable.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This Falcons team didn’t play with the desperation, the urgency Coach Quinn wanted to see. Needed to see. This was a battle between a team growing in confidence and beginning to believe it can go 16-0, and another with one foot already on the golf course.

The remainder of the season?

Quinn needs his team to finish strong and end 2015 with a little momentum moving into the long, offseason. He will have a sour taste in his mouth all the way into September after the Falcons threw away a 5-0 start into a potential losing season.

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But they must go down swinging. Sunday, they looked a team that had given up.

Atlanta plays on the road for the final time this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars haven’t played much defense this season, but they are fresh off a 51-16 hammering of the Indianapolis Colts. This won’t be an easy game.

Following that, the Falcons return home with an opportunity to get revenge on the Panthers, before closing it out against the Saints.

Quinn must rally his team and go down fighting to build some momentum heading into the offseason.

In the offseason, the real challenge begins.