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Dear Arthur Blank, you don't need to hire a search firm to identify a new head coach. Just follow these seven guidelines that I highlighted (and expanded on) in a column 10 months ago:

1. Prioritize leadership skills above all else.
2. Lean toward an offensive coach.
3. Move on from coaches who harp on "flipping the field" or "manageable third downs" during their interviews.
4. Find someone who is open-minded.
5. Cast a wide net and interview a lot of people.
6. Get a clear picture of how they're going to fill out their staff.
7. Don't hire a coach because he once drove Bill Belichick to the airport or brunched with Sean McVay.

You're welcome, and good luck.

Dan Quinn is out, but does it matter? They lack talent in a lot of spots - mostly on defense. It's not getting fixed this year.

"If Raheem (Morris) ends up 11-0 then he'll certainly be a candidate," per owner Arthur Blank. Glad we're setting a reasonable bar for an interim coach …

Biggest weakness: Defense

Yes, Matt Ryan hasn't thrown a touchdown over the past two games, and the 0-5 Falcons are built to rely on offense. But the defense can't continue to surrender 32.2 points and 446 total yards per game. And it can't continue to blow big fourth-quarter leads like it did against the Cowboys and Bears. -- Vaughn McClure

The hammer falls. Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff were both fired on Sunday night, hours after a 23-16 loss to the Panthers dropped the Falcons to 0-5. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris takes the reins of a Falcons team that has slowly drifted out of contention in the years since the crushing events of Super Bowl LI. This is an organization headed toward a reboot under the direction of owner Arthur Blank and team president Rich McKay. The head coach and GM vacancies must be filled -- and some difficult conversations are sure to be had over the quarterback position. Does Matt Ryan, 35, still fit on a team that's ready to start over?