Fansided

5 candidates to replace Dan Quinn as Atlanta Falcons head coach

By Brad Berreman

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 15: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons signals from the sidelines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 15: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons signals from the sidelines during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Atlanta Falcons blew two straight leads to drop to 0-3, and now Dan Quinn has to go. 

In Week 2, the Atlanta Falcons completed a collapse with one of the most misplayed onside kicks you’ll ever see to lose to the Dallas Cowboys. At 0-2 and with a defense that as surrendered 78 points and over 950 yards of offense, head coach Dan Quinn is on the hot seat again.

They did it again a week later, allowing the Chicago Bears to come back from a 26-10 deficit and giving Nick Foles the first big win of his tenure replacing Mitchell Trubisky.

After a 1-7 start last year, Quinn survived what seemed sure to be an in-season firing during the Falcons’ bye week. The shift to secondary coach Raheem Morris as the defensive play caller made a huge difference, from allowing 31.3 points per game (worst in the league) over the first eight games to allowing 18.6 points per game over the last eight (tied for fourth-best in the league over that span). The Falcons went 6-2 in the second half of the season, and Quinn kept his job.

Morris was promoted to defensive coordinator after the season, but linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich has shared play-calling duties in the first two games this year. Quinn also said he has a hand in defensive game plan and play-calling, but has no plans to change the mode of operation.

“No,” Quinn said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “No changes. I’m involved in all of the defensive calls and all of the preparation as well. . . . Well, I didn’t say it’s going to remain as it is from our performance, but in terms of the process that we go through I have a lot of confidence in the staff. I have a lot of confidence in the players that we will get the performances that we are looking for.”

Quinn started last season as the defensive coordinator, before giving things to Morris with far better results. Now Ulbrich is sharing play-calling with Morris, and Quinn says he’s heavily involved. Too many cooks in the kitchen is the easy analogy here, and it’s not working at all through two games.

Quinn needs to start winning games to save his job. Even if he survives to or through a Week 10 bye this year, the odds he’s back as Falcons head coach in 2021 are remote.

Here are five candidates to be the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

5 candidates to replace Dan Quinn as Falcons head coach

Riley is arguably the top NFL head coaching candidate in the college game, this side of Ohio State’s Ryan Day anyway, and it seems like a matter of time before he makes the jump from Oklahoma. if this college season keeps getting truncated by COVID-19, no one would blame him for starting to look toward the pros in 2021.

The Falcons have a talent-laden offense, which Riley could add college influence and some broader spark to. If he can hire a capable defensive coordinator to run that side of things (see Sean McVay hiring Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator of the Rams when he became their head coach), the Falcons could get to another level quickly.

If (when) Falcons owner Arthur Blank fires Quinn, he may try to go big-name hunting for a new head coach. At least seeing if Riley is interested is a step on that path.

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