Arthur Blank released his new book "Good Company" on September 15, and within its 272 pages chronicled his rise in the business world and entrepreneurial spirit that led to owning Atlanta's most front-facing sports franchise.
Little did he know that the two games that followed his book's release would be the low point for his franchise in many people's eyes. Nowhere in that book is the manual on how to handle what we saw on the field with the Falcons the last two weeks.
For the second straight week, the Atlanta Falcons endured a collapse of epic proportions, with no one shedding the bright eyes of criticism. Execution issues, injuries, clock management techniques that include running the ball just once during the final two drives with the lead, leave a lot to be desired for a group that promised a better start to 2020 than we saw in 2019.
Not one side of the football is particularly blameworthy over another. The Seahawks were a better team than the Falcons, but Atlanta found themselves in the game late despite a lack of offensive execution. Against Dallas, the defense let its foot off the gas after the offense scored 39 points, leading to the brain cramp that was the onside kick that produced the Cowboys' game-winning field goal.
The Falcons' loss to the Bears was an organizational loss. Matt Ryan failed to complete more than half of his passes, the defense failed to stay stout after taking more hits to its depth, and the play-calling in the fourth quarter lacked logical sense.
The Falcons last ran the football with 6:10 to play in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard carry by Todd Gurley while holding a 10-point lead. They held the ball for just 1:32 of game time the rest of the way as that lead slipped away. For reference, the Falcons averaged a season-high 5.8 yards per carry on Sunday, yet Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter advocated for 41 passing plays to 24 runs.
If I'm Arthur Blank, I would share the similar feelings of the fans who have flooded our airwaves with feelings of embarrassment, disgust & anger.
I'm not usually someone who advocates for the firing of coaches. I feel like it's an admission of guilt, especially in season, and this group needs more than one personnel move to change the tide.
But if Dan Quinn has a headset on the sidelines Monday night at Lambeau Field, I need to know why.
I need to know why this is acceptable. I need to know why this continues to happen with this regime and why the only time the national media brings us up is to laugh at us. I need to know why you feel like leaving the same people in charge will produce a different result.
I need to know why a regime which has blown leads of 14 or more points six times in its tenure deserves another game.
Simply put, Arthur Blank owes an answer to Falcons fans.
The Atlanta Falcons have become the poster child of collapses, on Dan Quinn's watch. Atlanta and its fans deserve better.