Dan Quinn is the sturdy and simple leader of the Atlanta Falcons who has chosen to embrace the loss that happened in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl was perhaps the worst loss in the history of sports, and it could have brought The Falcons to their knees. It is a loss that could have soured the opening of their new stadium, and it is a loss that could have seen them fall out of the playoff picture. The Falcons are still in a unique position to remain competitive in the years to come.
They must embrace the loss
The loss was particularly harsh for the Falcons because it caused the team to question how it was managed.
Kyle Shanahan chose to move on to the 49ers, and the offense was upset with play calling at the end of the Super Bowl. The team had to talk about what happened at that time, and they were able to work through the loss in a productive manner. A team that is willing to talk about their losses will have many more opportunities to improve over time, and they will use that open communication to make the team stronger.
They must compete hard
There are many different teams in the NFL who fall apart the year after losing the Super Bowl, and they give up because they do not have the internal strength to carry on. The Falcons have moved past their Super Bowl loss because they are not wallowing in it. The teams that wallow never come back, and the teams that do not tend to perform well in the future.
There are many players on the Falcons who plan to be there for some time, and it is a fairly youthful core that could be with the team for ten years or more. The team is growing quite a lot because they are changing their identity slowly. They are becoming a faster team, and they are not resting on their laurels after a year of such intense emotions.
Opening the new stadium
The Falcons are opening Mercedes Benz Stadium soon, and they must have something beautiful to put on the field. A team of this stature will open the stadium well, and they could very well play in their own home Super Bowl if they play their cards right. They opened this stadium in part because they know that they would get a Super Bowl, and they want to be competitive enough to play the game at home.
A team has not done that before, but it is possible that this team could be the first.
There are many reasons to believe in the Falcons, and the team will begin to grow because they are molding themselves in Dan Quinn's identity. Let's see just how far he can take them.
