Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tale of the tape

The coaches

Both Dan Quinn and Gus Bradley are at similar stages of their career. Quinn is in his first year as head coach of the Falcons, trying to turn around the fortunes of a team that has struggled majorly the previous two years. Bradley is apart a longer term project, trying to rebuild the Jaguars.

[table id=90 /]

Quinn inherited a Falcons team that had finished 4-12 and 6-10 the two years prior. Bradley took over the Jaguars in 2013, a year removed from their 2-14 finish. As we’re learning with the Falcons this year, the rebuild doesn’t happen overnight.

We’re finally seeing some encouraging signs in Jacksonville. The Jaguars offense is considerably better with second-year quarterback Blake Bortles, and the defense continues its steady improvement, which should continue when first round selection Dante Fowler Jr. recovers from his torn ACL next season.

Quinn has made progress with the Falcons this term, but there is clearly still a ton of work to be done. The defense is no longer the league’s worst, but it’s a long way off the Seahawks defense Quinn coached during their two Super Bowl appearances. The offense has taken a step back, although the offensive line and ground game have improved.

This will be the battle of two young coaches aiming to continue their team’s progress.

Next: The quarterbacks