A six-game losing streak will make just about anything possible for the Atlanta Falcons and the team is learning that the hard way. After a 5-0 start, the 0-6 record of late has a lot of jobs being put into question for the Falcons as they are simply focused on getting a win. But what comes in the offseason as general manager Thomas Dimitroff, Matt Ryan and Roddy White all have their futures being put into question right now.
Anything appears to be fair game for the Falcons as NFL sources continue to report that Dimitroff could be fired at the end of the season while Ryan and White are trade or release risks as well. Following a 38-0 shutout against the Carolina Panthers, frustration is running high. Tension is being reported between Ryan and coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Julio Jones is wondering why he is no longer a red zone target. The defense is getting questioned over effort in tackling. According to Jones, the team is simply trying to block out outside noise and focus on improving week to week as the Falcons play the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.
"We're just getting back to what we used to do, bringing the juice," Jones said, via ESPN.com. "Everybody's got to be accountable on every play. Just do our jobs, going through all the keys, making sure we're blocking the right person. All 11 [players] doing the same thing, and that's when we can have fun."
Everyone is going on the defense about potential releases or firings of players and personnel. Dimitroff appears to be the first person out should owner Arthur Blank be forced to make some changes. The firing of Dimitroff would be a long time coming in the eyes of some fans. Three-straight losing seasons would be enough to send a general manager out. The fading out this year is not helping his case, but Quinn defended Dimitroff saying he hoped he was able to stick around.
"Thomas is a really big part of why I wanted to be here," Quinn said, via the Associated Press. "The respect I have for him, and the partnership that I wanted to help create from the head coach to a General Manager. We were in sync in every facet from the time we got here to going through every process together."
Meanwhile, Ryan and White are having their futures be put into question. There is no doubt that this has not been the ideal season for either player. Ryan has developed a nasty habit of turnovers while White is doing more blocking than catching. However, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, both players will be sticking around for the future. There is no chance the Falcons pull Ryan after one down season while White is one of the most respected veterans on the team and his contract last year secured his future with Atlanta. Now it simply just comes down to everyone doing a better job of executing and trying to break the losing streak.
