The Atlanta Falcons next coach must restore credibility. Here’s who will do it | Bill Shanks

On January 21, 1997, former Atlanta Falcons owner Rankin Smith, Sr. introduced Dan Reeves as his new head coach. Reeves, a Georgia native, had led the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances as coach. He had played and coached for Tom Landry with the Dallas Cowboys. His resume was about as good as a candidate could present.

I was there that day covering the press conference. It was incredible how palatable the respect was in the room for a coach and for a franchise that had never, in 30 years in the NFL, had much success. Reeves instantly brought credibility to the Falcons, and in his second season he led the team to its first Super Bowl appearance.

The Falcons need that credibility again.

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Sure, they need someone who will win, who will take this franchise to the next level, who will help rescue a team that has simply not been the same since losing a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI in 2017.

Who better to do that than the coach who beat them that day, Bill Belichick. Could it be a stroke of good luck that the Falcons have a coaching search going on at the same time the best coach in NFL history is available?

Imagine Belichick roaming the sideline in a Falcons hoodie. We’ve seen him in Patriots gear for so long, since 2000, it would sort of be like when Joe Montana played for the Kansas City Chiefs, or even when Matt Ryan played for the Indianapolis Colts.

And while Belichick won’t be bringing Tom Brady with him to solve the Falcons’ quarterback problem, and while he’s not as young as he once was, he is the perfect candidate to help a fledgling franchise escape the abyss it’s been in since he helped put them there with the embarrassing loss in Houston.

So, what will be the things that might keep fans from wanting Belichick? First, his age. He turns 72 in April, and as we’ve seen with a certain college coach who is a good friend of Belichick, it does get more difficult as coaches get older. But Belichick is 27 regular season wins away from having the most wins by any NFL head coach. That goal of achieving that record will drive him.

You know he would want to prove that he can coach outside of New England. Sure, it’s been difficult the last four years without Brady, but as the Falcons have seen it’s not easy going from a franchise quarterback and trying to find that replacement. Plus, the Patriots overall roster has just not been what it once was. How much of that is Belichick’s fault? Well, it’s a good question.

Some say, “Sure, bring him in as a coach, but only as a coach.” Well, maybe at this age, Belichick will not want to pick the players. That’s not a bad option, and it would give Falcons GM Terry Fontenot a chance to show how good he really is at picking players, since we’re still not sure of that even after his three years on the job.

The one thing Belichick would do is not allow team owner Arthur Blank and Rich McKay interfere. They need to get out of the way. They have never hired an experienced NFL head coach. They’ve hired four NFL coordinators and one college head coach, and only one (Mike Smith) had substantial success.

Just imagine what the Falcons might have done this past season if Belichick had been the head coach. Instead of a 7-10 record, might the record have been flip-flopped? Could an experienced head coach like Belichick have made a difference in all of those close games the Falcons lost against teams with losing records?

It’s time to let someone who knows what to do to have the room to do it. OK, so Belichick’s record without Brady has not been very good. How have the Falcons done without Ryan the last two years? The current makeup of the Falcons roster might be perfect for Belichick. He’s got two good physical running backs in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, along with a big tight end in Kyle Pitts and a tall, physical receiver who knows how to block in Drake London.

Belichick would just need to find a quarterback. That in itself may keep Belichick away from Atlanta. He might want to pick a team that has a better quarterback situation. Then again, he might enjoy getting a chance to select a quarterback, whether it’s a veteran like Russell Wilson or selecting a young player to develop.

Blank says he wants the Falcons to win quickly. So, how can he gamble on another coordinator who would be getting his first head coaching job. Instead, the choice is clear. Get Belichick to Atlanta, let him do his job, and see if he can do better than what’s been done in the past.

And along the way the Falcons may just regain some credibility and win some more games.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 pm ET on 104.3 FM in Savannah and online at TheSuperStations.com. Email Bill at TheBillShanksShow@yahoo.com.