The Atlanta Falcons need to play better against the AFC

In 2015 the Atlanta Falcons made a great hire in Dan Quinn as their head coach. Since 2015 Dan Quinn has a 36-28 record as head coach, including a 3-2 record in the postseason.

Dan Quinn is entering his fifth season as head coach and has been highly successful with the Atlanta Falcons. He should have a strong 2019 season with a healthy team and more depth at each position. One of the keys for a strong 2019 season is playing well against the AFC.

In the NFL, the schedule has a rotation for cross conference opponents. Meaning the Falcons play each AFC division once every four years. Now that Dan Quinn is in his fifth season, he has played every AFC opponent. Quinn currently has a 6-10 record against AFC opponents.

During the 2015 season, the Falcons went 3-1 against the AFC with wins against the Texans, Jaguars, and Titans. Their lone loss was against the Colts, who were without Andrew Luck, in a brutal ugly game. The Falcons were able to dismantle the Texans in a 48-21 victory but struggled against the Titans and Jaguars.

During the 2016 season, the Falcons went 2-2 against the AFC with wins over the Raiders and Broncos and losses to the Chargers and Chiefs. The Chargers and Chiefs were terrible losses for the Falcons in 2016. The Chargers overcame a 27-10 deficient and the Eric Berry intercepted a two-point conversion returning it all the way winning the game for the Chiefs.

The Broncos and Raiders games were huge turning points for the Falcons in 2016. The Falcons suffered an ugly loss at home week one against the Buccaneers and beating the Raiders on the road was huge. The Broncos were coming off of their Super Bowl win and were 4-0 before playing the Falcons. The Falcons going into Denver and leaving with the win was a huge confidence boost.

2017 did not go well for the Falcons against the AFC either as they went 1-3. Their victory was against the Jets and their losses were against the Dolphins, Bills, and Patriots. The Dolphins game was brutal as they were able to overcome a seventeen-point deficit. The Bills and Patriots games were even more brutal as nothing went right for the Falcons in both games.

The 2018 season was the worst season against the AFC as the Falcons went 0-4 against the AFC. The Falcons played the Bengals, Steelers, Browns, and Ravens and did not play well in any of those games. The Bengals was the only close one but Andy Dalton was able to torch the defense and had the late touchdown to win the game.

In order for the Falcons to have a strong 2019 season they have to play better against the AFC. They will be put to the test early as they play the Colts, Titans, and Texans in weeks 3-5. Hopefully the Falcons will have a winning record against the AFC this season.