When assessing the Falcons’ season, it’s hard not to fixate on their lack of success against playoff opponents. Even when they play well for a half against Washington or three quarters against Minnesota, they begin to crumble collectively. Coverage breakdowns and turnovers doomed them against Minnesota. Situational coaching mismanagement from Raheem Morris understandably received all the headlines. However, the horrific tackling and pass protection blunders picking up twists in high-leverage moments must be acknowledged in analyzing the loss to Washington.
Sustaining sound fundamental play has been a problem all season. Whether it’s careless penalties in the red zone to derail what should have been touchdown drives or poor communication in the secondary, they haven’t done the basics well enough consistently to win at the highest level.