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Atlanta Falcons OC Steve Sarkisian expected to return in 2018

By The Sports Xchange
Former Alabama Crimson Tide and current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian talks to reporters during media day prior to the NCAA Football National Championship, in Tampa, Florida on January 7, 2017. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Former Alabama Crimson Tide and current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian talks to reporters during media day prior to the NCAA Football National Championship, in Tampa, Florida on January 7, 2017. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

Despite reports that Steve Sarkisian's job as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator might be in jeopardy, head coach Dan Quinn reportedly will not be making a change at that key position.

The Falcons are expected to retain Sarkisian for next season, unless something unforeseen occurs, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.

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Sarkisian will have the full support of Quinn, according to the report.

In his first season as the Falcons' offensive coordinator, Sarkisian got much of the fans' blame for the team's decline in offensive production.

When Kyle Shanahan was the team's offensive coordinator in 2016, the Falcons ranked second in the NFL in yards per game (415.8), quarterback Matt Ryan was named MVP, the Falcons finished 11-5 during the regular season and got to the Super Bowl.

Under Sarkisian this past season, the Falcons slipped to 364.8 yards per game, finished 10-6 in the regular season and lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Falcons scored only 10 points against the Eagles and were shut out in the second half. They failed to score after having first-and-goal from the Eagles' 9-yard line at the end of the game.

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"There's a lot of things that Sark has brought to our team that we really like in terms of, that could take a long time to go through the different spots," Quinn said Saturday. "So it's easy to place blame all onto one person. That's a shared responsibility when we don't achieve at the level that we would like to."

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