Brian Finneran: ‘Guys Believing In Quinn’

[birdz4i]

The Atlanta Falcons have gone 10-22 over the last two seasons, but they’re hoping that new head coach Dan Quinn can turn things around in a hurry.

If early results are any indication, the former Seattle defensive coordinator is doing just fine.

What has Quinn changed thus far in the organization? What has he brought?

“Just the energy, the excitement,” former NFL receiver and current 680 The Fan host Brian Finneran said on CBS Sports Radio’s After

Hours with Amy Lawrence. “Mike Smith did a great job. I was able to play with him for three years – his first three years and Matt Ryan’s first three years. And (after) seven years as a head coach with the team, especially after two bad seasons, your message wears a little thin and it’s tough to get guys fired up to play ball. And the two things I think Dan Quinn has done: He’s got guys excited about playing football and guys believing in him. So he fits the part, he looks the role. Some guys show up and you’re just not sold that they’re head-coach material.

But Dan Quinn is all-in and he looks the part. He feels it, talks it, he walks it, and fans, the team itself, guys in that building – everybody’s excited about Dan Quinn.”

But is it really just about changing the voice and a different guy delivering the message?

“No, absolutely not,” Finneran said, “but it can help. I think it goes a long way. You have to have some talent on that roster, and unfortunately the draft picks of late have not been good for the Atlanta Falcons.

Even the free agency moves – Osi Umenyiora and Steven Jackson – guys that just didn’t work out how you would have liked them to. And (neither have the) draft picks: Peter Konz and Lamar Holmes and the Falcons just removed Joe Hawley, who was a fourth-rounder a few years ago. It’s tough. It is. The lack of talent on this football team really hurt them the last couple of years. So it’s not just about the message and speaking and energy. You got to have players that can play, and the Falcons have struggled to find those guys, especially on the offensive and defensive lines the last couple of years.”

While Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the Falcons’ explosive offense gets a lot of attention, Quinn is a defensive guy, and he has a lot of young pieces in Atlanta. In fact, Finneran expects immediate improvement on that side of the ball.

“You know what? Sometimes on defense it can be as simple as a different voice and a better energy and guys believing in the system,” he said. “You do need players. I think Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett – a couple of draft picks this year out of Clemson – (will help). Some free agent moves in Justin Durant and Adrian Clayborn have really been nice. And our middle linebacker from last year, Paul Worrilow out of Delaware University, has slimmed down a little bit and he’s flying around making plays at that linebacker position. With all those guys healthy and playing well, I think it’ll be a game-changer. . . . So there’s a lot of names on that defensive side of the ball that I think we’re excited about. And what we saw in the preseason when the 1s were in was fun to watch. They flew around. They made plays. They played their role and their scheme very well.”

http://amylawrence.radio.cbssports.com/2015/09/08/brian-finneran-guys-believing-in-quinn/

[THEHEADCOACH]

Finn is always great.

[Mid-Nite-Toker]

But is it really just about changing the voice and a different guy delivering the message?

No, absolutely not, Finneran said, but it can help. I think it goes a long way. You have to have some talent on that roster, and unfortunately the draft picks of late have not been good for the Atlanta Falcons.

Even the free agency moves Osi Umenyiora and Steven Jackson guys that just didnt work out how you would have liked them to. And (neither have the) draft picks: Peter Konz and Lamar Holmes and the Falcons just removed Joe Hawley, who was a fourth-rounder a few years ago. Its tough. It is. The lack of talent on this football team really hurt them the last couple of years. So its not just about the message and speaking and energy. You got to have players that can play, and the Falcons have struggled to find those guys, especially on the offensive and defensive lines the last couple of years.

You know what? Sometimes on defense it can be as simple as a different voice and a better energy and guys believing in the system, he said. You do need players.

http://amylawrence.radio.cbssports.com/2015/09/08/brian-finneran-guys-believing-in-quinn/

Thanks Finn.

[The Great American]

Finn was blaming the falcons problems on lack of talent. How did that happen?

[g-dawg]

The message is fresh and that definitely helps - however, at the end of the day, it is about talent in the NFL - the longer Quinn is here, even his inspirational message can get stale.

Falcons are definitely heading in the right direction - just hope we stay on the path.

[MAD597]

If Quinn can somehow figure out how to keep us from having 10+ guys on IR he will do pretty good. For all the bad coaching decisions the last couple of years the biggest factor to our bad record was the large amount of injuries and key players on IR. People seem to either forget or brush that aside but we literally had 10+ guys on IR or missed multiple games to injury each of the last two years at key starting positions.

[falconstwopercentsized]

The message is fresh and that definitely helps - however, at the end of the day, it is about talent in the NFL - the longer Quinn is here, even his inspirational message can get stale.

Falcons are definitely heading in the right direction - just hope we stay on the path.

Oh look another td post

[shockerfalcon]

Oh look another td post

I love digging at G-Dawg about his TD hate as much as the next guy but I'm not sure how you got that out of his post Edited September 9, 2015 by shockerfalcon

[jimifalcon]

yes,how different would the last 2 seasons have been had SJAX,Julio,roddy,spoon et al been on the field?better i think,but that does not negate the horrible half time adjustments and the abysmal clock management.smitty just never made the right corrections.

[Mid-Nite-Toker]

I guess I figure Abe and Grimes have been the only Falcon players since 2008 worth coveting/missed. Maybe HD/Spoon...trying to give TD some credit.

With all sarcasm intended, talent has never been an issue with the Falcons.

[MAD597]

yes,how different would the last 2 seasons have been had SJAX,Julio,roddy,spoon et al been on the field?better i think,but that does not negate the horrible half time adjustments and the abysmal clock management.smitty just never made the right corrections.

Yep and I think the idea we had a lack of talent was BS, we would have made the playoffs the last two year even with crappy coaching mistakes if we had just stayed healthy like we did 2008-2012. This year we actually do have more talent and what seems to be much better coaches. BUt we did not have a Talent sink the last two years like some people think we had a team that was simply full of injuries.

[Jesus]

Finn just basically threw TD, Osi, SJax, Hawley, Holmes, and Konz under the bus.

Crunch

[LookAboutFalcon]

Finn is always great.

Great on the sidelines.

[TheFatboi]

I guess I figure Abe and Grimes have been the only Falcon players since 2008 worth coveting/missed. Maybe HD/Spoon...trying to give TD some credit.

With all sarcasm intended, talent has never been an issue with the Falcons.

It really hasn't. I do believe we lost too much talent at the same time and didn't already have the replacements on the roster for Abe, Turner, Grimes, Robinson, Nicholas etc...We started a bunch of rookies in 2013 with some being UDFA's, who are still here btw. I could just tell the message was old PLUS from what I was hearing from guys on the team I know. And the funny part is you hear a lot of it from the wives. Guys don't like Miko around here but she DOES speak truth about this team. She was calling it out before it hit the fan. And I heard it from some friends subtly but it was VERY telling with the wives.

Again, I liked Smith and he did great things and I usually don't mention what a player said to me directly. I mix it in with my opinions so you never know what's verbatim or me but he lost the lockeroom in 13. And those cuts was a part of it. You can't come off a strong campaign and cut the heart and soul of the team in one swoop and think you'll be fine. It was a combo of TD and Smith but we had talent. TD cutting players and Smitty losing vision of the team.

[g-dawg]

Finn just basically threw TD, Osi, SJax, Hawley, Holmes, and Konz under the bus.

where they belong.

[g-dawg]

I love digging at G-Dawg about his TD hate as much as the next guy but I'm not sure how you got that out of his post

I don't hate TD - but because I'm objective on him - where I list his good and bad, I'm considered a hater by you and others. Unfortunately from 2009-2013, the bad was REALLY BAD. TD has hit his homeruns w/ Matt Ryan, Julio and Trufant - just has not had enough base hits to go with the homeruns - and TD is below the mendoza line when it comes to Offensive Linemen.

TD deserved to have gotten fired after this past 2014 season - he was fortunate that Arthur Blank kept him around long enough for Quinn to fall in love w/ him(TD). I was a Dimitroff fan for many years but bad draft after bad draft and poor marquee free agent signings soured me on him - the last two drafts (2014-Pioli/2015-Quinn/Pioli) have probably had less of a Dimitroff imprint than the previous drafts - those drafts look much better and if they turn out, then Dimitroff will garner his share of the credit.

Rooting against TD while he is our GM makes no sense and I do not participate in such thought. Objectively looking at his record and saying it is "mixed" is fair - saying it has been "good" is homerism. I was TD's biggest fan for a long time and my current feelings did not happen overnite and they are not knee-jerk. I've been on this board for about 9 years so those that have been around that long - know this about me.

[Mekias]

I don't hate TD - but because I'm objective on him - where I list his good and bad, I'm considered a hater by you and others. Unfortunately from 2009-2013, the bad was REALLY BAD. TD has hit his homeruns w/ Matt Ryan, Julio and Trufant - just has not had enough base hits to go with the homeruns - and TD is below the mendoza line when it comes to Offensive Linemen.

TD deserved to have gotten fired after this past 2014 season - he was fortunate that Arthur Blank kept him around long enough for Quinn to fall in love w/ him(TD). I was a Dimitroff fan for many years but bad draft after bad draft and poor marquee free agent signings soured me on him - the last two drafts (2014-Pioli/2015-Quinn/Pioli) have probably had less of a Dimitroff imprint than the previous drafts - those drafts look much better and if they turn out, then Dimitroff will garner his share of the credit.

Rooting against TD while he is our GM makes no sense and I do not participate in such thought. Objectively looking at his record and saying it is "mixed" is fair - saying it has been "good" is homerism. I was TD's biggest fan for a long time and my current feelings did not happen overnite and they are not knee-jerk. I've been on this board for about 9 years so those that have been around that long - know this about me.

I agree with everything you said here about TD. However, I feel really good about the current combination of TD/Pioli/Quinn. It's like the 3 branches of government being checks and balances against each other. It's hard to know who has the most input but TD is a part of that and the team is getting better. I'm willing to start over with TD and give him a clean slate. Making mistakes in the past doesn't mean he won't learn from them and that's what I'm hoping for.