Atlanta Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn, has been on a mission to build a ‘brotherhood’, but the teams needs a victory more than anything in Week 17.
For most of Dan Quinn’s tenure with the Atlanta Falcons, fans have totally jumped on board with his “brotherhood” mentality, and rightfully so. With so many differing opinions on politics in professional sports over the past few seasons, seeing a team united, in spite of differences they may have, is something the city of Atlanta can be proud of.
However, the closeness of the Falcons roster hasn’t exactly taken them to the promised land since Quinn joined the team before the 2015-16 season. Sure, they made the Super Bowl last year, but were unable to collect themselves when the game was on-the-line, blowing a 25-point lead to the New England Patriots.
Not only was that an embarrassment for the Atlanta franchise, but it has been deemed one of the worst championship collapses in modern-sports history. Needless to say, the last thing Falcons fans wanted to talk about after Super Bowl 51 was the “brotherhood”.
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However, contrary to what most of the media has portrayed, it’s been the team’s passion to win and lose together, on and off the field, that’s helped the Falcons to a 9-6 record in 2017. They’ve had some sloppy games here and there, but things could’ve been much worse after what happened last February.
I don’t care what people say about forgetting past losses, losing a championship game like that will stay with those players and coaches for the rest of time.
Make no bones about it, every football fan in America will be watching to see how the Dirty Birds handle themselves against the Panthers in Week 17. You may say the NFC Playoffs start next weekend, but for Atlanta, their postseason starts this weekend versus Carolina.
It’s been a season of missed opportunities and questioning, but none of that has come from within the Falcons football team. Fans and media may point fingers and complain, but this 53-man roster has kept moving beyond the adversity and somehow still have a chance to make the playoffs for the second-straight season.
Next: 5 Things Falcons fans should be thankful for in 2017
We’ve heard Quinn speak about this team’s toughness and closeness many times in 2017, but it’s time that translates to the field, especially in Week 17. It’s time the “brotherhood” stands up, and proves they can handle the pressure of playing big-time football when it’s all on-the-line.