The Atlanta Falcons have announced that they’re hiring former Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. Apparently, he will be taking on what they’re calling a “senior assistant” role, which will be about game and clock management.
Here’s what head coach Dan Quinn had to say about the hiring, per Will McFadden at the team website.
“Adding someone with Bob’s knowledge and experience to assist with clock and game-management strategies will help us be the best version of the Falcons that we can be in 2019.”
This one is a bit of a surprise, considering Sutton’s experience. Andy Reid does many, many things well as a NFL coach, but one consistent area he’s been lacking in is the game management part. While you can’t blame Sutton for Reid’s mistakes, it’s worth questioning why they thought he was the right guy for this role.
Sutton began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan in 1972. He was the head coach of the Army team from 1991-1999 before he got his first shot in the NFL as the Jets’ linebackers coach. He stayed with the Jets until 2013 when the Chiefs hired him as defensive coordinator.
Kansas City’s exit from the postseason this year will loom large in the minds of Falcons fans. Sutton’s failures to adjust his defense to Tom Brady and the Patriots’ game plan was a major reason why they lost the AFC Championship. For the year, KC ranked first in sacks but only No. 24 in scoring defense and No. 31 in yards allowed.
