Falcons face huge decisions during the offseason

	Michael Vick became the first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, but critics say he still can't pass accurately enough. Simon Bruty/SI
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Even before Jim Mora created a firestorm two weeks ago by ostensibly joking about his "dream job" at the University of Washington -- his alma mater -- the Falcons had been placed on notice by owner Arthur Blank for their nightmarish swoon.

In late November -- following a third consecutive loss -- Blank told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution that missing the playoffs "is definitely not good enough from any perspective." Since then, Blank has scrutinized the franchise without a back-to-back winning season in its 41-year history. "We have to dig to find out why we're not playing with consistency," he said.

But Mora's interview with a Seattle radio station shouldn't be a factor. I'm not as cynical as most who felt that Mora's tone was too serious to claim facetiousness. I had been on the show several times in the late 1990s while I was covering the Sonics, and dry humor is part of its shtick.

The bigger issue is that Mora is .500 for the first time in his tenure. Atlanta is among five 7-8 clubs clinging to wild-card hopes in the national feeble conference (NFC). The Falcons must win at Philadelphia while the Giants, Packers and Panthers must lose or tie in tough road games. The playoffs look like a longshot for Atlanta. So here is a breakdown of each area Blank may decide to revamp.

COACH JIM MORA
During the summer, Mora received an extension through 2009 as a reward for having the best winning percentage in franchise history. But since reaching the conference championship in his first season, Mora's Falcons have gone 15-16. Quarterback Michael Vick has unwittingly stirred the pot with comments such as this one from last Sunday: "You know, the talent level is there. ... We should be ranked among the elite in this league this year and we're not." Still, Atlanta -- 11-5 in 2004 and 8-8 last season -- has never had three straight non-losing seasons. So a win Sunday would at least provide Mora with that distinction, and should make it tougher for Blank to fire him.

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR GREG KNAPP
If Mora returns, there's no guarantee that Knapp, whose playcalling has been criticized as unimaginative, is safe. Knapp may suffer the same fate as Maurice Carthon -- the former Browns coordinator -- who "resigned" in the middle of the season against head coach Romeo Crennel's wishes. Knapp has altered his West Coast offense to Vick's strengths, but management may decide that it still doesn't fit Vick, who's at his best adlibbing. The offense is too unbalanced -- No. 1 in rushing and last in passing. Knapp can make a case that Vick's passer rating has quietly improved to 74.9 (better than Matt Hasselbeck, Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre) after it declined for three straight seasons. And Vick has thrown for a career-high 19 touchdowns.

RECEIVERS COACH GEORGE STEWART
The little-known assistant may end up being dismissed for his crew's blues. However, it's not like Stewart's wideouts were Pro Bowlers before being under his tutelage. Stewart works hard to maximize his players's abilities, leading to improvement late in the season.

MICHAEL VICK
Vick isn't going anywhere -- and not just because of his gazillion-dollar contract. Blank is a huge supporter of Vick, who is 38-27-1. Vick is the first quarterback to amass 1,000 rushing yards in a season, but he's also the NFL's least accurate passer at 52.4 percent. Vick's supporters believe that Steve Young is the model. Young arrived in San Francisco a scrambler with a 3-16 record and 63.1 rating before turning into a Hall of Famer. One NFC personnel executive told me: "The comparison has to start with Steve Young. If San Francisco found a way to accommodate Steve Young -- or Steve Young found a way to be a part of the offense in San Francisco -- that would be a blue print. Another AFC scout added: "To run a controlled passing attack, it's essential to have an accurate passer. Whether his inconsistencies can improve remain to be seen. But he's a rare guy who causes defenses to prepare differently."