There were numerous reasons the 2018 Atlanta Falcons failed to reach the playoffs for a third straight year. Could a few more free-agent additions help?
A year ago, the Atlanta Falcons entered 2018 as the only team in the NFC to have reached the playoffs the previous two seasons. The club finished 11-5 in 2016 and went on to Super Bowl LI. And it’s safe to say most NFL fans know the significance of “28-3”.
One year later, with a pair of new coordinators — Steve Sarkisian (offense) and Marquand Manuel (defense) — Atlanta failed to recapture the NFC South, but managed to finish 10-6 and grabbed a Wild Card berth. The team went into the Los Angeles Coliseum and knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card Round. But that was followed by a bitter and frustrating 15-10 loss at Philadelphia to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
In 2018, a 1-4 start was followed by three straight wins and Dan Quinn’s team look like it was primed for a strong second half. But that injury-riddled defense proved to be the team’s albatross throughout the year. And when it was all said and done, the Falcons finished 7-9 and out of the postseason.
For the second time in three years, there have been changes at both offensive and defensive coordinator. Dirk Koetter returns to the organization to handle the former while Quinn himself will handle the defense.
There have been a few additions via free agency in the form of guards James Carpenter (New York Jets) and Jamon Brown (New York Giants), running back Kenjon Barner (Carolina Panthers) and tight end Luke Stocker (Tennessee Titans). And if general manager Thomas Dimitroff isn’t done shopping, here are three more suggestions.