What is the cause of that joyful noise you hear from Flowery Branch and across Falcons Nation (if there is such a thing)? Why it is the great news that Jacksonville has hired away Falcons Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey.
I love this summary from The Falcoholic, which was originally going to be an article centered on why the Falcons must dump their much maligned OC.
…this is the best outcome for the team. They didn’t have to fire Mularkey, but they still jettisoned the offensive coordinator who presided over arguably one of the most embarrassing playoff performance in the team’s tortuous history. That failure was striking, yes, but it was also an indictment of what a Mularkey-led offense had become: Incapable of winning big games. The team can now truly evolve from its days of a ground-heavy focus and short passing game to something more dynamic, which they did only half-heartedly in 2011. That’s the hope, anyways.
…
Give the team credit for having enough class to let Mularkey go get a good job instead of sabotaging him, and kudos to Mularkey for finding a head coaching gig.
Now the Falcons can go full steam ahead into the off season looking for two new coordinators. That is a lot of change to absorb going into 2012, but maybe, just maybe, Coach Mike Smith and GM Thomas Dimitroff will get it right, and hire a couple of bright coordinators that will bring new life into the franchise.
It is a good problem to have. Back-to-back-to-back-to-back winning seasons, with three playoff appearances. Unfortunately, all three playoff games have proven to be disappointments. The Falcons do a solid foundation upon which any OC or DC should be able to build, and hopefully get us over the hump.
Good luck Mularkey. To the Jaguars, you poor gullible bastards, hope it turns out to your liking.
Go Falcons.
