ATLANTA – Let’s see if the Atlanta Falcons can put another nightmarish loss behind them.
The franchise that infamously squandered a 25-point second-half advantage at Super Bowl LI in February 2017 in Houston – eventually losing 34-28 in overtime to the New England Patriots – was back in the Lone Star State last Sunday and had another Texas-sized collapse. The Falcons blew a 20-point lead to the Dallas Cowboys, giving up an onside kick in head-scratching fashion to set up a winning field goal on the final play at AT&T Stadium.
The 40-39 stunner dropped Atlanta to 0-2 for the first time since 2007 and turned up the heat even higher on coach Dan Quinn in his sixth season, especially after team owner Arthur Blank said it looked as though the players on the field for the Falcons didn’t know the onside kick rules.
Quinn urged his players to turn their attention to the next game against the Chicago Bears, who visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, but he conceded it wouldn’t be easy to get over such a disappointing outcome.
“You have to recognize the emotion,” Quinn said. “Yeah, you’re (upset). We have to put it into another space, but it’s important to acknowledge why you’re so (upset). That’s the life of a competitor. It’s hard, but you have to get past mad, you have to get past frustrated if you’re going to have the season you want.”