Atlanta Falcons are finally planning to fire Dan Quinn after 0-5 start

The Dan Quinn era of Atlanta Falcons football is finally coming to an end.

It took way too long, but the Atlanta Falcons plan to fire head coach Dan Quinn this week.

Jeff Schultz of The Athletic reports it’s over for Quinn in Flowery Branch. He will be relieved from his duties as the head football coach as early as Monday or as late as Tuesday. Atlanta is a rancid 0-5 to start the 2020 NFL season. This is the Dirty Birds’ worst start to a campaign before they became the Dirty Birds in 1998. 1997 was a generation ago. It has gone so south in Atlanta.

Where do the Falcons go from here after cratering to undeniable rock bottom?

This feels like more than just Quinn getting the ax. It’s the end of an era in Falcons football. There’s no way owner Arthur Blank can look at Quinn’s coaching staff and think that’s okay. Quinn won’t be the only one to go, as offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris could get whacked, too. With 11 games left, just end the season, please.

What Blank should do is promote assistant head coach Jeff Ulbrich to the interim and have quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp call plays. He must accept that trusty general manger Thomas Dimitroff won’t be part of Atlanta’s next head coaching search. You can keep team president Rich McKay, but you have to start over everywhere else. Expect a fire sale of top talent as well.

The good news for Atlanta is Blank is a well-respected owner in the league, meaning the Falcons will be able to land one of the better head-coaching candidates available in the upcoming cycle. The only problem is Blank sucks at picking head coaches. This is man who hired Jim Mora, Bobby Petrino, Quinn and Frank deBoer for his MLS franchise Atlanta United FC.

In roughly two decades of ownership, the best coach/manager he has hired was Gerardo “Tata” Martino on the soccer pitch. Mike Smith gave the Falcons five great years from 2008 to 2012 before the league passed him by in 2013 and 2014. If Atlanta doesn’t hire an offensive-minded head coach, this NFC South franchise has no hope to ever succeed again long-term.

If this requires parting ways with Matt Ryan before he fully exits his prime, the Falcons franchise have to do it. This team is going to win maybe four games at best this year, which will have them in the mix to draft one of two former suburban Atlanta kids by the name of Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields. Go get the next John Elway or the next Steve Young from your backyard, Arthur.

Being able to coach Ryan is still appealing for top head-coaching candidates like Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy or Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, but being able to coach Lawrence or Fields fresh out of the Power 5 is infinitely more appealing. It might sway the best coaching candidate away from Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans.

It’s been mostly bad since 28-3, but Dirty Bird Nation can be thankful it’s finally f*****g over.