Tag Archives: Dan Quinn

NFL Week 3 thoughts and observations

Posted on by
Advertisements

The third week of the NFL season did not disappoint. There were quite a few talking points from the week that caught my eye and I have some thoughts on them.

1. The Mitchell Trubisky era in Chicago is over

This was going to happen sooner or later, Mitchell Trubisky is out and Nick Foles is in. Once the switch was made it has to be permanent. Matt Nagy cannot go back and forth like a yo-yo with his quarterbacks and end up with ineffective performances from Mitch and Big Dick Nick. Best of luck to Mitchell Trubisky and his future endeavors as his time as the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears appears to be over for good. Perhaps another NFL team is willing to take a chance on the former second overall pick.

2. Another disastrous ending for the Falcons and Dan Quinn

The Atlanta Falcons are cursed. Another heartbreaking loss and Dan Quinn is squarely on the hot seat. Entering the 4th quarter Atlanta was up 26-10 and the aforementioned Bears made a change at quarterback. Chicago proceeded to score 20 unanswered points and the Falcons are left just standing there drenched in failure yet again. Making a coaching change midseason might not do anything, but what we’ve seen so far from Dan Quinn has been unacceptable on so many levels.

3. Josh Allen elite?

When evaluating Josh Allen before the draft it was quite evident that he was a quarterback that was going to take some time to develop. Simply looking at numbers or grades or whatever advanced stats that some treat as gospel was not going to give an accurate representation of what Josh Allen was going to be. To quote clown show Mel Kiper Jr., “Stats are for losers”. Just kidding, sort of. Josh Allen was going to take time, but anyone who understands football saw the potential and upside with Allen. After 3 weeks Allen is 2nd in passing yards (1,038), 2nd in TD passes (10), 8th in completion percentage (71.1%), and 4th in QBR (86.1). Sure, Allen will make the occasional mistake or hilarious play, but the fact of the matter is he is among the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now.

4. Doug Pederson: Gutless

Remember when Doug Pederson released a book titled “Fearless”? Fun times. Apparently he is no longer fearless as his decision making at the end of the overtime period was not only confusing, it was gutless. Pederson was perfectly comfortable settling for the tie rather than trying to win, hardly the attitude that should be present in the NFL. Philadelphia should have defeated the Cincinnati Bengals easily, but a 23-23 tie was the final result. Doug Pederson should be embarrassed by this result. Maybe he should take some time this week and channel some of his previous fearless energy, because right now it is non-existent.

NFL Week 2 thoughts/observations

Posted on by
Advertisements

Week 2 of the NFL season was quite interesting as there will be several items that are sure to be talking points this week and as the season progresses.

1. Still not sure what the Cleveland Browns are

Sure, the Cleveland Browns looked better against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, but we should not forget the disastrous showing against the Baltimore Ravens just a few days prior. Baker Mayfield looked good when players were schemed open against Cincinnati. Mayfield looked terrible when facing Baltimore and they made him look more like the 2019 version and not the second half of 2018. The next game against the Washington Football Team should provide a bit more clarity in regards to the skill level of Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. Are they a good, bad, or average NFL team? The answer to that question may come into focus after Week 3.

2. Cam Newton is really good and it should result in firings in other organizations

Cam Newton looks like Cam Newton again and that is scary, Josh McDaniels has put together an offense catered to his particular skill set and is getting the most out of him. Even in a shortened offseason and no preseason games, McDaniels was able to adapt and install an offense for Newton that will make the New England Patriots a legitimate contender this season. The fact that there were multiple NFL teams in need of a quarterback and Cam Newton signed a one-year bargain basement prove-it deal with New England should result in multiple firings across the league.

3. The Falcons special teams debacle is emblematic of the issues in Atlanta

This was an all-time collapse. The Atlanta Falcons let the ball on Dallas’ onside kick attempt roll 10 yards untouched and allowed the Cowboys to recover. If the goal for Atlanta was to practice social distancing in regards to the ball, mission accomplished. The fact that Atlanta did not understand the rules when it comes to an onside kick just shows the lack of attention to detail by Dan Quinn and his coaching staff. Would firing Quinn result in better on-field success this season? Not likely. However, if he is fired at some point this debacle should represent his failure as their head coach.

4. Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn are in a bad place in Detroit

There are so many NFL teams that hire a Bill Belichick disciple and watch them crash and burn. This is why some teams are hesitant to hire others (Josh McDaniels being the most recent example). While there have been issues with what has gone on with Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn, there is a certain set of circumstances in order for someone copying Belichick to be successful. Patricia did not come into a situation where those circumstances existed and that’s why things sit the way they do currently.

The Lions had expectations of playoffs and building upon what Jim Caldwell left after his departure. The problem is what was being implemented is not for teams looking to take the next step, it is for building a foundation and a culture, essentially building from the ground up. Bringing in the duo of Patricia and Quinn is like trying to change a building that has already been constructed. No matter how many changes are made, it will still resemble what was there before any remodeling was done.

A perfect example of what they were trying do succeeding with another NFL team is the Miami Dolphins. Miami was actively tanking and still won games. Brian Flores is building the foundation for a successful organization and was put in the right situation to do so. The Dolphins may have lacked talent last season, but that did not stop them from winning five football games. This is two more than Patricia’s Lions who had a more talented roster and were trying to win. It is a safe bet that if the two teams faced each other that Miami would have come out on top and that just amplifies the issues with the Lions.

Are Quinn and Patricia faultless in their failures? No, absolutely not. Although it is worth mentioning that they have not done a whole lot to prove they should stick around in Detroit beyond this season. When the year is up there could be some major changes coming for an organization that has often been too loyal when it comes to keeping their front office executives and head coaches employed.