Dan Quinn assumed the role of defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons for the 2019 season, adding that role to his responsibilities as head coach, but he explained Sunday after the team's 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams that he's begun to distribute some of the play-calling duties for the defense on game day amongst his assistants.
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"My job is to look at the big and see if there's things we can do to change that," Quinn said. "We actually started some of that during Arizona last week. I'm always looking to see, during the game, who can help on the play-calling side of that, and we've actually distributed that some [in] Arizona and this week as well."
Quinn did not specify which assistant coaches have begun to help share the load of calling the defensive plays during the past two weeks, but it's the first time he's announced that the responsibility was no longer solely his.
Atlanta's defense started reasonably well against the Rams on Sunday, forcing three field goal attempts and allowing just one touchdown in the first half. Things changed after halftime, however, as the Rams put together a 75-yard touchdown drive on their first series of the third quarter and followed that up with another touchdown on their next possession.
The Falcons have not registered a sack in four straight games, and the defense has not created a turnover since forcing three of them against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2.
"When you don't do that, you want to look and search and find answers," Quinn said of the Falcons not playing up to his standard. "That's what I spend most of my time doing to see what tweaks, what things need to be changed, whether it's personnel, scheme, whether it's an assistant in play calling or for me to apply some attention elsewhere. I'm always looking to do anything that's best for the team. Trust me, my ego is never bigger than the team. There's nothing I wouldn't do to help get us right."
