WATCH: Atlanta Falcons firing Dan Quinn unavoidable after 1-6 start
Based on my encounters with Dan Quinn during press conferences, he's a good guy. He's accountable, respectful, and a class act in front of the media.
But that doesn't mean much when you can't win football games. Recently, Quinn hasn't won nearly enough to keep his job.
Quinn is now 37-34 in his tenure with the Falcons, but since blowing a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl three seasons ago, he's posted an 18-21 record. Unless Atlanta ends the 2019 season 8-1, the Falcons will fail to finish with a winning record for the third time in Quinn's five seasons.
However, it's not just the losing that has Quinn on the hot seat. The Falcons have lost their six games by an average margin of nearly two touchdowns. In all six of their losses, they have fallen behind at one point in the game by at least 17 points.
Defensively, things are worse, which is Quinn's area of expertise. The Falcons have gone the last four games without a sack and haven't forced a takeaway on defense since Week 2. They are also in the bottom six in yards allowed, red-zone defense and third-down defense.
Arthur Blank is a loyal man that seems like the kind of owner that would prefer to avoid embarrassing a coach he likes with a midseason firing. But the Falcons have given him little choice. Right now, it's one humiliation after the next with this franchise, so much so that Quinn has arguably failed to earn the right to coach this team until the bye week.
Regardless of when it occurs, though, it's going to happen. I've learned to never say never in the NFL, but there's just about a zero chance Quinn is still coaching the Falcons in 2020.
