Following the Atlanta Falcons misstep in the playoffs that saw them exit in a disappointing Divisional Round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, it saw offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian get plenty of blame tossed his way.

During a press conference on Thursday morning, head coach Dan Quinn made it clear that Sarkisian wasn't the reason why the Falcons' offense sputtered a bit in the 2017 NFL season.

There was a notable dip in Atlanta's offensive production dropping from the highest-scoring team in the 2016 season to 15th this past year. With Sarkisian at the helm, it makes him an easy target for placing much of the blame on him. This was especially the case after the Falcons failed to score near the goal line in the final minutes of the fourth quarter in the divisional round game against the Eagles that sealed the team's fate.

Article Continues Below
More NFL News
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) reacts on the field against the New York Giants during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium.
Steelers rumors: TJ Watt gets intriguing timeline amid contract extension sagaPreston Byers ·
Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Israel Mukuamu (24) reacts after intercepting the ball in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Cowboys CB room gets stronger with unexpected moveMike Gianakos ·
Fox Sports NFL Studio analyst Michael Vick during a Fox Sports media party in advance of Super Bowl LIX.
Falcons fans react to Michael Vick’s surprise return to practiceJosh Davis ·
Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) celebrates with Commanders linebacker Mykal Walker (32) after their game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Commanders’ Marshon Lattimore joins Terry McLaurin in OTA absenceJosh Davis ·
Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) following the win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Broncos’ Nik Bonitto has wild response to PFF snubJosh Davis ·
New York Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn, is shown as he speaks during a press conference, at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Monday, January 27, 2025, in Florham Park. Glenn spoke about not just getting the Jets to a winning record but to sustain them as a championship caliber team.
Aaron Rodgers’ ouster a sign of things to come for JetsMike Gianakos ·

It also further pushed the premise that Kyle Shanahan played a huge part last season in seeing the Falcons become an offensive juggernaut behind quarterback Matt Ryan's MVP year. Given how things unfolded, it would have been extremely difficult for Ryan to match or surpass that stellar production. All of this simply left Sarkisian out to be labeled as being a major reason for the team's steep decline in the 2017 campaign.

However, the fact that Quinn has come out to support Sarkisian should lead to him getting another shot to help steer the Falcons back on track next season to once again being one of the top-scoring offenses in the league. If they continue to go down the same path in 2018, there could be a quick trigger by the organization to move on in another direction from Sarkisian.

For the time being, it is a public display of support by Quinn that should relieve much of the criticism being tossed Sarkisian's way for the team's mishaps in 2017.