Atlanta Falcons: New playoff structure will help Dan Quinn
By Deen Worley
Atlanta Falcons and other NFL teams will be blessed with an extra playoff spot if the new CBA agreement is signed before the March 18th deadline.
With the Atlanta Falcons last appearing in the playoffs during the 2017 NFL season, adding a seventh seed to the NFL playoffs (eliminating a first-round bye for the two seed) only boasts the chances that Dan Quinn could be given an extension for getting into the playoffs.
However, given how deep into the notion of “win now” the Atlanta Falcons seem to be; by going 8-8 or 9-7 and getting a playoff spot that previously never existed, how much of a case does Dan Quinn truly have?
Yes, by getting the seventh seed, the Atlanta Falcons would be in the playoffs, but this seems like a crutch. With Dan Quinn placing all of his marbles for one final effort in 2020, having a mediocre record simply does not cut it when thinking about the future of this team and the talent the Atlanta Falcons have.
On the other hand, we would have to change our perception of what a playoff team is. If the Atlanta Falcons sneaked by with the sixth seed in 2020 and win at least one playoff game, there is the real reason to believe that Quinn will be retained beyond 2020. There would probably be minor pushback because the Atlanta Falcons did make the playoffs.
I don’t feel that same rationale will be present just yet if the Atlanta Falcons only get the new seventh seed because of the reason I mentioned previously, it just feels like a crutch and not a playoff deserving team.
This also goes away if the Falcons make a deep playoff run because we all know once the playoffs start, nothing in the regular season matters. It’s an entirely new season.
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During Quinn’s previous five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, the Falcons have only managed a two and six seed. Getting the new seventh seed should still be a fireable offense as if the team never made the playoffs. especially when viewing the entire body of work of his will-be six-year career with the Falcons.