The Falcons (6-7) will look to turn things around when they face the weak Raiders (2-11) at Allegiant Stadium on Monday at 8:30 p.m.

“This is a different team, a completely different scenario,” Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s hard to compare exactly what happened. All I know is we started out undefeated for a few weeks.”

Quinn had a talented offensive staff that included wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, quarterbacks coach Mike LaFleur and offensive assistant Mike McDaniel. Morris was the assistant head coach/defensive passing game coordinator.

Shanahan’s offense started well with the emergence of running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman and wide receiver Julio Jones. Through the first five games, they averaged 406.2 yards and 32.4 points per game.

However, the defense caught up to Shanahan. After reaching 6-1, the Falcons lost their next six games.

During the six-game losing streak, the offense averaged 341.3 yards and 14.3 points per game. The Falcons finished 2-1 and hit .500.

There has been no common thread during the Falcons’ current losing streak.

They played hard against the Saints (November 10) and Chargers (December 1) before losing by three and four points, respectively. They were beaten 38-6 by the Broncos on November 17th. They played hard against Minnesota, as the score was tied 21-21 early in the fourth quarter. Last Sunday they lost 21-0, resulting in a final score of 41-21.

“It goes back to what I said after the game: We do a lot of things really well,” Matthews said. “We just have to make them a little better to get wins in the end. I think we’ll like the situation we’re in.”

One of Quinn’s old sayings was, “Do the right thing, for longer.” That seems to be true for the current Falcons.

“Yeah, I think it can be done,” said Matthews, who along with Grady Jarrett are the only holdovers from 2015. “I think we can all find a place where we can do it right for a little longer. Find a way to make this happen as a team.”

In 2015, Falcons safety Jessie Bates III was just finding her feet as a freshman at Wake Forest. But during his time with the Bengals he experienced a long losing streak.

“Just keep talking about the good and the bad,” Bates said. “You try to make sure no one is pointing fingers. I’ve been part of bad teams. I was part of good teams. When things go wrong, these good teams rally around each other. They come together and figure out how to make it 1-0 and just stop the storm.”

The Falcons have shown no signs of breaking.

“Conversely, I’ve been on bad teams and they start pointing fingers,” Bates said. “Once you start doing that, it just gets worse and worse. Just like we lost four times in a row. We can win four in a row and I think we will be happy if we do that. I just have that mentality.”

The Falcons could point to the play of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who didn’t throw a touchdown pass and had eight interceptions during the four-game losing streak. They want to see the quarterback who rushed for a career-high 509 yards earlier this season on Oct. 3 against Tampa Bay.

“We were fortunate to be able to rely on the running game,” Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. “Especially the last few games – we played the football well against the Chargers, last week we did really well. That will always be a quarterback’s best friend.”

The Falcons hope Cousins ​​can bounce back.

“Now the quarterback has to make some plays, but we can always try to mitigate the quarterback’s first and second down,” Robinson said. “We will definitely try that.”

The offense gets a break. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is undergoing ankle surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

Crosby was the Raiders’ sack leader with 7.5 and tied for the league lead with 17 tackles.

The defense also showed signs of weakness.

The Falcons’ secondary performed poorly against the Vikings. They were beaten on several deep passes. They are preparing for a different passing attack with tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. Former Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is also expected to start for the Raiders.

“Everything is going pretty well,” cornerback Mike Hughes told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re trying to get the game plan straight. Trust in the process. Back to work. That’s the other part of getting back to work and getting ready to go.”

Hughes wasn’t too worried about potentially facing Ridder.

“We’re focused on ourselves,” Hughes said. “Of course we know who we are playing against. But I think it’s all about us getting back to what we do best. Just go out and have fun.”

The secondary had several failed coverages against the Vikings.

“Yeah, we all just have to agree,” Hughes said. “This week is about getting back to what we do. It’s about focusing on us. Just go out there and execute.”

The Falcons are treating the game like a playoff matchup as they fight to regain the lead in the NFC South.

“We have to take it one day and one game at a time,” Hughes said. “The rest will take care of itself. Once you start looking too far ahead, the little things start to slip. So we take it day by day. Week by week, and I think we’ll be fine.”

Opponents caught up with the 2015 offense and never managed to turn things around. The Falcons’ current group believes they can halt their decline.

“Don’t point the finger,” Bates insisted. “We are in a storm right now. That is the reality. Accept it. Own it. Try to do everything you can in practice, in meeting rooms and on tours to change that.”