Atlanta Falcons should keep Dan Quinn for one more year

Despite their record, the Atlanta Falcons should keep Dan Quinn for at least one more season.

It’s redundant to keep bringing up how disappointing the 2019 season is for the Atlanta Falcons. Dan Quinn knew to go into this season that his job was on the line and that the falcons super bowl window was closing fast. Especially with the number of assets the Atlanta Falcons could lose over the next few offseasons.

At the end of next season (2020), Dan Quinn’s contract will expire. Even if the Atlanta Falcons finish this season with a winning record, I find it hard to believe Quinn gets an extension beyond next season. So give Dan Quinn the ability to return and have a tell all-be all season in 2020.

With Dan Quinn being a defensive guy, you would expect that we would have one of the best defenses in the league. Especially being apart of the “Legion of Boom” in Seattle in 2013-2014. However, the Atlanta Falcons defense has only finished in the top 15 once in his five years as head coach.

Including the lone ninth rated defense in 2017, the Atlanta Falcons defense averages the 20th best defense in the league. Not good for a top defensive guy.

For what it’s worth, Quinn did, in fact, improve our defense. the five years prior to Quinn, the Atlanta Falcons had an average of a 22nd rated defense

That puts our decade average 21st overall. Not good for back-to-back defensive head coaches

Give Matt Ryan what he deserves

The Atlanta Falcons have been beyond blessed by having stability at the quarterback position and the offensive perimeter as a whole.

Since 2011, the Atlanta Falcons have had a top 10 total offense nine times. Sice 2011, the Atlanta Falcons have had an average of a fifth-best passing offense. All of this with a defensive head coach in Mike Smith and Dan Quinn.

Matt Ryan has also been one of the most consistent passers in the league; only throwing for less than 65% completion twice since 2011.

It is time we give Matt Ryan an offensive head coach

The answer may not lie with who everyone wants

It is safe to say the Chiefs offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, will be the hottest candidate on the market to fill a vacant head coaching spot; With good reason. The Chiefs have had one of the league’s best offenses and he will be taking a lot of calls in the offseason.

But how much of that is credited to Andy Reid and the talent on that Kansas City offense?

Only three of Reid’s former assistants have been to the Superbowl; only two winning it all (Harbaugh – 2013, Pederson – 2018).

Since winning the super bowl in 2013, the Ravens have been 1-2 in playoff appearances since.

After the Eagles won the 2018 super bowl, the Eagles have been two games above .500 since. With the exception of the super bowl season, the Eagles have been a .500 team.

While I definitely would not be upset by Arthur Blank pulled the trigger after this season and pursued Bieniemy, that would be a welcoming guy in Atlanta, but there is another guy the Atlanta Falcons should consider that may be more beneficial to the team itself and overall morale.

Backup quarterback, turned offensive coordinator – Kellen Moore

People forget Dak Prescott was the backup quarterback to Kellen Moore going into the 2016 season after Tony Romo went down. However, an injury to Moore propelled Prescott to the starter and he has yet to look back.

Kellen Moore is probably best known for his time at Boise State. Moore was once, and still considered, as one of college football’s most prolific passers. He is also the most winningest quarterback in college football history.

Moore spent his time in the NFL as a career backup for Detroit and Dallas, where he eventually became a quarterback coach in 2018.

This season saw him be promoted to the Cowboys offensive coordinator and institute his RPO style offense.

To say it has worked is an understatement.

Dak Prescott is on his way to having the best season in his career. With Prescott averaging 322 passing yards per game, he is on pace to end the season with over 5,000 passing yards and 67% completion.

That’s a huge improvement over his current career-high, 3,885.

Prior to the 2019 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys passing offense never peaked past 23rd since Prescott has been the starter. Going into week 12 of this season, the Cowboys have the number one passing offense by a pretty strong margin.

The Cowboys have three receivers who have almost eclipsed 500 yards on the season. Dez Bryant was the last Cowboys receiver to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark back in 2014. This season, Amari Cooper and/or Michael Gallup, can be the next receiver to get to the 1,000-yard mark.

The Cowboys have been heavily reliant on Zeke Elliott in seasons past, however, this season Moore has changed that.

Zeke is on pace to have a season-low in average attempts per game and average yards per game. This could e the first season where Zeke doesn’t eclipse over 20 carries a game on average. 10 games into the 2019 season and his totals are lower than his totals in 2017 where he only played 10 games due to suspension.

The Atlanta Falcons have an offense built for Kellen Moore. If Matt Ryan and company can put up top of the league passing numbers every year while being hindered with vanilla style offenses from Steve Sarkisian and Dirk Koetter. Just imagine how good our offense could potentially be under Moore.

With a competent offensive coordinator, we saw what we could potentially achieve; Just look at 2016.

Why should Quinn stay one more year?

It’s a tough thing to accept but it may be more beneficial for Quinn to stay with the Atlanta Falcons one more year.

The players love him and they are well aware now that his job is on the line and their performance will be the deciding factor. If Dan Quinn finishes this season in the range of 7-9 to 9-7, you should expect to see Quinn given the chance to finish his contract and fight for an extension.

This also gives the Atlanta Falcons options going forward.

Maybe if the Atlanta Falcons finish this season strong and on a roll, that momentum can carry into next season and prove if Dan Quinn is our guy. Surely, anything less than a deep playoff run next season and he will not get an extension.

However, this also allows Kellen Moore to add another year of calling plays under his belt and see if he can replicate the same success he has endured this season to the next.

For comparison, Green Bay’s head coach, Matt LaFleur only has two seasons as a play-caller, and his team is sitting at 8-2 and competing for the NFC’s top seed.

In an era where it seems teams are reaching into the college ranks and wanting to get younger at the head coaching spot, it makes all the sense to go after a 31-year-old who has completely turned the Cowboys offense around. But, let’s wait one more season so that Moore gets the experience he needs as a play-caller.