After Losing Four Straight, Owner Puts Falcons on Notice

So it's come to this. The Jim Mora-led Atlanta Falcons are becoming quite predictable: start fast, and then fade as the season progresses. Granted, the team was 11-5 and made it to the NFC Championship game in Mora's first season, but finished 8-8 last year (after a 6-2 start) and are currently 5-6 (after a 5-2 start).

With Mora's old man calling the quarterback a "coach killer" and with the quarterback giving fans the fingers following the latest Falcons loss, it's no wonder owner Arthur Blank has put his team on notice:

Team owner Arthur Blank made it clear before the season started he won't be patient through another mediocre year. That came after the Falcons squandered a 6-2 start in 2005 by losing six of their final eight games.

[...]

"We did not build this team to be .500," Blank said... We thought his team was capable of making a playoff run. Anytime you fall short, it's disappointing. They have the talent and the enthusiasm to get it done, but obviously we've got to execute better and be a little more consistent."

Well, I've got some bad news for you Artie: this team will be lucky to finish with eight wins this season. To be fair, it's not all Michael Vick. I mean, he can't will his receivers into catching passes, can he?

Today's game against equally-as-hapless Redskins could give the Falcons the late-season lift they need, and even at 5-6, they're not yet out of the playoff conversation. But if last four weeks were a preview of things to come, the final five weeks could be tough to watch.