Is Anyone Willing To Say This Team Is Overall Better This Year Than Last Year?

[jlrfalcon]

You can point to some improvements such as our running game as maybe being better than last year, but is anyone willing to say that our team is overall better at this point than where we were at the end of last year?

We may have been fooled at the beginning of the year but just as other teams have figured out how to beat us, we fans are figuring out that this team is not better overall.

1) Has our OL improved from last year? We are giving up fewer sacks but is this because Ryan is less of a pocket passer than last year.

2) Our running defense had been looking good, but has AP proved today that perhaps that was simply due to us not facing truly talented RB's and/or teams using the passing game to beat us instead?

3) Bosher may be punting the ball better this year than last year, but has Bryant's decline in accuracy more than offset this?

4) Freeman has been a great improvement in the running offense although San Francisco proved he can be stopped. Coleman has shown promise but his fumbles have certainly not helped.

5) Ryan is certainly not as accurate or surehanded as in prior years - is this a reflection of his decline or more a sign that this new offensive system is not meant for him?

6) Did we actually have a better pass rush last year than this year? Beasley has not been significant in his rookie year and 2nd and 3rd string QB's are having no problem getting time to pass.

7) We definitely had a much easier schedule this year than last but we have made it look difficult.

8) Our red zone efficiency is ultimately horrible except for early in the year when Freeman was scoring frequently. Now we are more likely to turn over the ball than score a touchdown when we enter the red zone.

9) Mike Smith had clearly become unpopular in Atlanta and needed to leave. However, Quinn is not making many new friends with this complete drop from a 5-0 team to one of the worst looking in the NFL and with no clear changes being made.

10) This team keeps playing worse every week instead of showing signs of progress. Do not be surprised if this team ends ups 6-10 to end the year.

I challenge anyone to say how this team is overall better and point to what is better.

[uup115]

This team has better talent, but Smith was a much better coach with his coordinators. All the issues with Smith started after the team traded away draft equity for a WR and Blank fired BVG and Mularkey. With Smith's staff the team never looked this lost.

[thanat0s]

They would've been better served keeping Smitty, firing some assistants, and canning TD. Now, we are in a full blown rebuild using the same failed methodology used to create 13 and 14.

I blame ownership. Blank loves his cronies. At this point, he has tuned out on this team.

[Beast-N-Da-Sheetz]

Being better than last year's team isn't saying much, but yeah we are a bit better.

[Tribal Chief]

No

[MoFalconsFan56]

It's the same team just a diff coach

[krammmit]

We are the opposite. Last year we won all the division games but 1.

This year we might just win 1...... Might

[opensource01]

This team has better talent, but Smith was a much better coach with his coordinators. All the issues with Smith started after the team traded away draft equity for a WR and Blank fired BVG and Mularkey. With Smith's staff the team never looked this lost.

Well said. You forgot the part about that trade being forced by Dimitroff and Blank, but otherwise spot on.

[thanat0s]

We are the opposite. Last year we won all the division games but 1.

This year we might just win 1...... Might

Yep. Smitty understood the importance of division games. He understood a lot of things about which this staff has no appreciation.

[Herr Beast]

as a TEAM, we are the worst since 2007.

[Herr Beast]

Mike Smith had his own limitations... but the one thing he knew all about was having the Falcons play as a team. And frankly, when I look back on his time, he knew how to get the best out of most players and he knew what assistant coaches he had to hire to optimize what was given to him.

In 10 years or so, we will build a Mike Smith shrine because he was just 10 yards shy of a SB trip. Count on that.

[MAD597]

Defense is the best we have had in a long time, offense is worse than our 2007 team. The 2013 and 2014 team had horrible injury problems we had 10+ guys on IR each of those years. The offense on our team is so bad it brings the overall team down to 2007 levels.

Had our 2013 and 2014 teams not had so many injuries we would have gone to the playoffs both of those years.

[thanat0s]

Mike Smith had his own limitations... but the one thing he knew all about was having the Falcons play as a team. And frankly, when I look back on his time, he knew how to get the best out of most players and he knew what assistant coaches he had to hire to optimize what was given to him.

In 10 years or so, we will build a Mike Smith shrine because he was just 10 yards shy of a SB trip. Count on that.

True, true. A patient franchise would've worked to fix things rather than throwing him out.

I just look at the egos of all involved, and I'm positive Blank let TD and McKay remain because they stayed in his ear about how it was all Smith's fault.

[Atlantafan21]

Defense is a lot better, offense has become incompetent.

[Herr Beast]

I know I am quite emotional after such a terrible loss like today but I badly miss Mike Smith right now. Sure it was never spectacular but that was part of the plan. Everything was carefully prepared and trained. Mistakes were so rare that you could pin one down after a game, now we do not even know where to start.

Also I miss him getting hot on the sideline. He turned into the Hulk when someone made a bonehead mistake and he sure let him know. He was like the "Anger" in that Inside Out Movie, red headed and really angry. Now the only thing red headed is our QB, who runs around like a chicken you hit on the head with a shovel.

You only know what you had when you lose it.

[opensource01]

I just look at the egos of all involved, and I'm positive Blank let TD and McKay remain because they stayed in his ear about how it was all Smith's fault.

Definitely. I always assumed everyone knew this is the main reason Dimitroff is still here.

[Herr Beast]

And Mike Smith will so get a HC job next year if he wants one.

[uup115]

Well said. You forgot the part about that trade being forced by Dimitroff and Blank, but otherwise spot on.

Yes agreed, but i think everybody understands that trading and now resigning a WR was not the choice of a defensive coach. Nor was selling a home game to London, or bringing "Hard Knocks" into training camp or, leaking it out you hired a firm to replace your head coach on the eve of a playoff game...Blanks meddling fingerprints are all over this disaster. Reminds me of the time he extended Vicks contract and hired Petrino.

[thanat0s]

Herr, we are on the same page. Smith's teams were hardly ever penalized or had turnovers. They were all about the details, especially in the red zone.

If this is what Quinn ball is, I'm already over it.

[Sobeit]

Defense is the best we have had in a long time, offense is worse than our 2007 team. The 2013 and 2014 team had horrible injury problems we had 10+ guys on IR each of those years. The offense on our team is so bad it brings the overall team down to 2007 levels.

Had our 2013 and 2014 teams not had so many injuries we would have gone to the playoffs both of those years.

In no way is this defense better than the one BVG had. This one may actually be more talented but they have yet to put it together in a way that can match what BVG did with mostly bad talent.

[cyofish]

This team has better talent, but Smith was a much better coach with his coordinators. All the issues with Smith started after the team traded away draft equity for a WR and Blank fired BVG and Mularkey. With Smith's staff the team never looked this lost.

Touche. Smith's team were more methodical and disciplined. There are certain aspects of the defense that improved under Quinn but I think that has more to do with personnel. I don't think the Julio trade is a factor at all. Look at Demitroff's track record in making picks, and think of what 4 players we would have instead of Julio. I can guarantee 2 - 3 of the picks would not be starting for the team.

[thanat0s]

Yes agreed, but i think everybody understands that trading and now resigning a WR was not the choice of a defensive coach. Nor was selling a home game to London, or bringing "Hard Knocks" into training camp or, leaking it out you hired a firm to replace your head coach on the eve of a playoff game...Blanks meddling fingerprints are all over this disaster. Reminds me of the time he extended Vicks contract and hired Petrino.

He has always been a blow hard with too much money and too little brains for football.

[Herr Beast]

Herr, we are on the same page. Smith's teams were hardly ever penalized or had turnovers. They were all about the details, especially in the red zone.

If this is what Quinn ball is, I'm already over it.

Yes we are. It is absolutely maddening in what shape this football team is. And that it continues for week after week after week.

The honeymoon is long over Mr. Quinn. Get it fixed or you fail as a HC. It might be too late to salvage the season but at this point I do not mind more losses if we at least work on those details what Mike Smith always had worked out.

[Club212]

I see this staff as inexperienced, out coached & unprepared at times...Today, you can add that there is a quit in some players that I haven't seen. For announcers to comment about the staff "what are they doing" that's embarressing! AB has to get serious...either Matt Ryan or Shanahan MUST go!

[uup115]

It's not even an issue of wins or loses or of being better or worse, this team is poorly coached and the arrow is pointing down, way down.