Silver linings are few and far between for teams that start a season 0-5. The Falcons were essentially buried in early October after reaching that mark — no NFL team in history has ever bounced back from such a start to make the playoffs, and the 1992 San Diego Chargers are the only team to ever make it to the post season after starting 0-4. Even with the expanded playoff format this season, it’s something that just doesn’t happen.
It was clear to most that Dan Quinn should not have survived a second consecutive 7-9 season in 2019, during which playoff contention wasn’t even sniffed due to the team’s 1-7 record at the halfway point.