The Atlanta Falcons are searching for answers as they continue to sit with just two wins through eight weeks of the season. This is not how the team saw themselves entering their bye week, but after blowing one of the best leads in franchise history, the Falcons are trying to figure out what is wrong. Head coach Mike Smith is stressing that the Falcons might be 2-6 on the field, but they are not 2-6 in the locker room and change is possible.
Almost every member of the Falcons team took blame for the loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. After being up 21-0 at one point, the Falcons slowly let the Lions chip away at their lead before kicking a field goal for the win. The defense failed to make a stop. Matt Ryan was plagued with bad throws. The offensive line failed to hold. The wide receivers let drops be made. Owner Arthur Blank says that a lead of that size should never mean a team loses the game and everyone appears to be on the same page.
"It's tough. It's a tough loss," Roddy White said, via the team website. "We thought we would have won this game. I thought we had it in the bag and it's just disappointing to lose that way. I felt like our team played hard. I felt like our defense played good and I felt like in the second half, we didn't do much on offense, especially on third downs; we didn't get any except in the four‑minute drive, but prior to that, I don't even think we got 100 yards in the second half. It was frustrating. It was frustrating, especially on the offensive side, just coming out and just basically taking the ball up and down the field, throughout the first half; it was difficult, coming into the second half and not getting anything going."
One thing Smith did not rule out was trade in the next 24 hours. The NFL deadline is approaching so if the Falcons are going to make some kind of move, now is the time. The team is still in the mix for the NFC South considering how terrible the conference is at the moment, so a trade for another body on the offensive line or a pass rusher and the Falcons could manage to get a win or two. The easiest pieces to trade could be Steven Jackson or Osi Umenyiora. Despite their low stats, both players have expiring contracts and a resume that speaks for itself.
Could Smith get fired during the bye week? Blank made note earlier in the season that he did not expect to make any mid-season changes to the coaching staff and that could easily stand for the remainder of the year. If the Falcons continue on this path for the back half of the season, Smith will not be back next year.
