Atlanta Is Bringing To Light What Our Actual Issues Are

[TylerDurden]

They were looking like possibly the worst team this side of the Bengals at one point, they have had injuries, they even traded one of their top recievers and last I checked are giving major snaps to a UDFA after they lost Ridley...  and yet, they've beat the Saints, swept us, and now beat what us probably the best team in the NFC.  

Go up and down our rosters and tell me who has more talent.  Clearly we do on paper...  and yet, look at us and look at them.  

It's the coaching and culture.  Yeah, players loved Ron, but they loved Ron for the person he was, not the coach.  He rarely ever actually challenged his players, and when it came to their jobs, players have been comfortable just going through the motions because that has been our culture...  jobs aren't taken or challenged because players aren't held accountable.  Why would I change what I'm doing, mistakes included, when I know my job is safe regardless?

No one really feared Ron, they liked Ron.  Atlanta is beating superior teams with inferior talent because their jobs were on the line - from the staff to the players.  Quinn has the respect of his players as a coach, and they have played for him accordingly...  whereas with Ron, the players gave the same generic responses and went out and played the same mediocre football - because it was accepted.  Period. 

Sorry for the rant.

[ellis]

The big issue is Cam Newton hurt his foot in New England. 

[jfra78]

1 minute ago, ellis said:

The big issue is Cam Newton hurt his foot in New England. 

I really think is Cam was healthy this would have been a special season

[Hoenheim]

11 minutes ago, ellis said:

The big issue is Cam Newton hurt his foot in New England. 

well, and our oline has sucked and hasn't been able to stay healthy since 2015 ended 

[TylerDurden]

11 minutes ago, ellis said:

The big issue is Cam Newton hurt his foot in New England. 

 

8 minutes ago, jfra78 said:

I really think is Cam was healthy this would have been a special season

Agreed.  Everything hinges on the QB position, and I felt like with a healthy Cam, this would've been the best roster we've fielded in the Rivera/Newton Era.  It would've been special.  That being said, I then look at teams like Pittsburgh who keep winning with their 3rd or 4th QB...  or even how competitive San Fran was last season while using their 2nd and 3rd QBs.  

Coaching and culture are a big piece of the pie, and I feel like we're going to be enduring a major overhaul this offseason to address it.

[TylerDurden]

2 minutes ago, stbugs said:

I don't at all. This OL would have gotten him killed. Allen started the year completely 100% healthy and went from pretty composed and not throwing INTs to seeing ghosts and rushing throws assuming he's going to get hit. Cam has finished 1 of the last 4 seasons, he was going to get hurt at some point. I honestly still worry that there is no more healthy Cam. We'll see next year but Cam's not a 24 year old QB anymore. He wouldn't have recovered to ever been 100% healthy this year.

While I agree, the OL sucks, I really feel Allen has made them look worse.  It's kind of a chicken or egg situation.

[ellis]

 

5 minutes ago, Hoenheim said:

well, and our oline has sucked and hasn't been able to stay healthy since 2015 ended 

I understand the concerns, but primary among them is the quarterback. If he’s completely unavailable to play, the season is pretty much lost before it begins. 
 

Also, 2017 was a pretty good run.

[The Lobo]

Good post OP and I’ve always felt the same about Ron. It was time to move on and we need to purge this whole staff to get rid of that mentality. Ron was a great guy but an average coach and we have too much talent on this roster to be this bad. 

[Mr. Scot]

A healthy Newton makes the team better but I'm not sure he makes us a winner or a playoff team.

This team is frankly terrible.

[jfra78]

1 minute ago, bull123 said:

Cam can’t tackle or defend...our defense is beyond horrible

We will never know how they would have played with Cam starting because it didn't happen.  Believe it or not the offense helps the defense out.

[Harbingers]

Atlanta is 2014 panthers. No big deal. 

[TylerDurden]

Just now, bull123 said:

The only thing that can help our defense is new players 

But that's kind of what I'm getting at...  Atlanta didn't get any new players, in fact, they lost some...  yet, they went from looking like the worst defense in the league at one point, to world beaters.

[GoPanthers123]

15 minutes ago, stbugs said:

I don't at all. This OL would have gotten him killed. Allen started the year completely 100% healthy and went from pretty composed and not throwing INTs to seeing ghosts and rushing throws assuming he's going to get hit. Cam has finished 1 of the last 4 seasons, he was going to get hurt at some point. I honestly still worry that there is no more healthy Cam. We'll see next year but Cam's not a 24 year old QB anymore. He wouldn't have recovered to ever been 100% healthy this year.

Yes he is shell shocked.  What a way to destroy someone’s confidence and he did last a while to his credit.

[Brooklyn 3.0]

Allen is the second most sacked QB in the NFL and he didn't play in two games. Cam would have gutted out a win or two Kyle didn't but our OL is terrible.