The Atlanta Falcons' season continues to spiral downward following Sunday's 26-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Atlanta has lost four straight games and sit last in the NFC South with a 4-8 record, representing a major disappointment given this team was a preseason favorite to make the postseason.
"We're sitting here at 4-8," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said, via via Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. "When there was chatter that we were Super Bowl contenders, and then this ... it's difficult to go through. It's tough on everybody. We have a lot of injuries. That's not an excuse, but ... it's reality. They're fighting the best that they can."
Jobs are often at risk in a production-based league, and the implosion in Atlanta this season arguably warrants change at top decision-making positions.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn, however, appear safe for now.
"I haven't lost any faith in Coach Quinn or Thomas," Blank said. "They'll do the evaluations that's needed."
There won't be much assessment to figure out what has gone wrong on defense, as injuries have decimated the unit. But the same can't be said for an offense featuring potent weapons in Matt Ryan, Tevin Coleman, Julio Jones, rookie Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu and Austin Hooper.
While the team owner gave a vote of confidence to Dimitroff and Quinn, one can't help but wonder if offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is safe.
Sarkisian was brought in after former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left to become the San Francisco 49ers head coach in 2017, and the offense has gone in the opposite direction over the past two seasons.
It was just two years ago that the Falcons possessed one of the league's top offenses and led the league in scoring (33.8 points per game) en route to the Super Bowl, but this unit has floundered under Sarkisian. Sunday's loss marked the fourth straight game the Falcons failed to top 20 points, a span where the team averaged 17 points per game.
Sure, the offense this season has missed running back Devonta Freeman, who landed on injured reserve in October with foot and groin injuries. But given a star-studded cast of weapons, there is hardly an excuse for the Falcons to generate just 131 total net yards in Week 13.
Whether the Falcons' top decision-makers elect to stick with Sarkisian through the remaining four games or after the season remains to be seen.
What is clear is that this team can't afford to maintain the status quo of not getting the most out of an offense featuring Pro Bowl-caliber players and wasting their talent.
