Mark Dominik Likes The Falcons — A Lot
June 21st, 2024
Ex-Bucs GM Mark Dominik weighs in.
Yes, the growing Falcons bandwagon includes former Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik.
Joe is confident it must have been at least a tiny bit hard for Dominik to spit out that reality today on the national SiriusXM NFL Radio airwaves. Dominik remains a big Buccaneers supporter.
Dominik was asked for his take on the Falcons within the framework of recognizing that many analysts are very high on Atlanta after adding Kirk Cousins and think the Falcons are instant contenders — or the favorite — for the NFC South crown.
“I do, too,” Dominik said. “Cousins should be able to change that franchise and kind of really put them up there. I think that they absolutely are if not the favorite, they should be, probably, because of just the different pieces they have.
“You go get a veteran quarterback with that kind of experience — I know that Baker Mayfield put together great numbers and that’s a good thing, too, for the Buccaneers — but Atlanta, you start to look at the different pieces they have around [Cousins].”
Dominik went on to talk about the Falcons’ beastly duo at running back, plus tight end Kyle Pitts and No. 1 receiver Drake London. Offseason additions of receivers Darnell Mooney (Bears) and Rondale Moore (Cardinals) resonate with Dominik, who thinks the Falcons’ offensive line is very good.
Hold the Falcons under 24 points in a game will be difficult this seaosn, Dominik says, and he believes the team’s only question mark is whether Atlanta’s defense can match what will be a powerful offense.
Joe isn’t buying what Dominik is selling. Only seven NFL teams averaged 24 points or more last season. Each of those made the playoffs.
Cousins arguably had better weapons in Minnesota two seasons ago and had an excellent season, but he’s coming off a serious injury into a brand new offense without Justin Jefferson.
Lots to prove for Atlanta, which faces the Steelers, Eagles, Chiefs and Saints before hosting the Bucs in Week 5.
June 21st, 2024 at 3:51 pm
I really don’t understand the love for the Falcons. Pitts statistically isn’t that much better than Otton. Their WRs can’t match ours. Sure their running attack is much better, but we have a better defense. I am with Joe. Not sure why they are darlings
June 21st, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Falcons will be Bucs’ biggest challenger for division title.
Weren’t the Bucs 3-7 last year before they got it together for a nice playoff run?
Not sure how much a fast start makes alot of difference in a division lacking a dominant team.
Every game is a must win.
June 21st, 2024 at 4:22 pm
Bijon had less all purpose yards than White. I’m pretty sure our #1 wr beats theirs and Pitts has been a huge disappointment. Yep makes perfect sense for the media to pick them. Just looking at the rosters it’s not even close which team has superior talent. Atlanta is nothing more than a team of what if”s.
June 21st, 2024 at 4:26 pm
Those first five games are against some pretty good teams ,might be a really telling start of the season either a really good start of could be an early disaster.GO BUCS!
June 21st, 2024 at 4:28 pm
Imo, our WR depth trumps theirs. I know Irving hasn’t taken a snap yet, but White, Irving and Edmonds could be very close and possibly better if Irving is that guy. Then you have Cousins coming off an Achilles and Penix (whom I like) in waiting; I like our QB situation more because of the continuity, and the familiarity between Coen and Baker. Cousins has 1st year QB coach Yates. That’s not to say he’s trash, but he’s never coached Cousins.
June 21st, 2024 at 4:31 pm
Cousin’s first season at the Vikings he was one game over .500, threw 30 TD’s with 10 Picks and just shy of 4300 yards @ 70% Completion.
Vikings finished second in the Division to a Bears team that was 12-4 and one game out of the #1 seed. Bears beat the Vikings twice in 2018 and it was their only two Division losses. In todays 7 team format Vikings would have been the #7 seed.
If Cousins can or cannot plant his foot he will still do well throwing the ball and will throw it in the dirt a few times a game to stay upright and avoid contact.
Jefferson didn’t play in all but one of cousins 8 games in 2023 and was on a 5K yard season. Don’t think it mattered who was running the routes.
If you’re hanging hopes that he will play bad you might want to come up with a few more ideas.
June 21st, 2024 at 4:39 pm
Fan of the South drank the whole damn Kool-Aid pitcher. Let’s see reality happen before anointing the Falcons as the very bestus new version of sliced bread..
June 21st, 2024 at 4:58 pm
He is just another talking head that will never be a GM again. Good for him that he has a good gig but as the Bucs GM meh
Let’s get Baked! Go Bucs!!
June 21st, 2024 at 5:13 pm
Do you guys who think the NFC south is going to be a cakewalk realize we played the Saints & Panthers the last two games of the season and got outscored 22-23? People outside of Buc fandom are picking the Falcons cause with out taking a snap
Cousins is clearly the most consistent QB in the division.
June 21st, 2024 at 5:15 pm
Pretty likely the Falcons start out 0-5…. Their season being over by that point. I am serious.
June 21st, 2024 at 5:24 pm
Fan of the South….
#1 aging QB in new system
#2 aging QB coming off a torn achilleas, this is a serious injury
#3 what big game has Cousins ever won?
#4 complete new coaching staff
#5 The coaching staff is not even sold on Cousins, they drafted Penix which was not projected to go way late 1st round or 2nd round.
These talking heads are all in the same circle jerk buying what each one is saying. Pitiful
June 21st, 2024 at 5:30 pm
Yeah I dunno about that point total, but overall Atlanta does have a ton of weapons on offensive and a decent o-line.
It would be hard to not improve from the train wreck of misusage and playcalling that was happening under their previous HC and QB.
June 21st, 2024 at 5:52 pm
@unbelivable
Week 17 we lost 23-13 to the Saints
Week 18 we beat the Panthers 9-0
The 7:50 mark in the 4th quarter of the Saints game was our last TD of the season. Could be just play calling, but the players didn’t do many plays much justice.
Even with all that, we still punched out ticket in, but we got to find a more sustainable way of manufacturing wins and last seasons effort won’t cut it this season.
June 21st, 2024 at 6:21 pm
WHAT IS NO ONE LOOKING AT? … LOSING HC, ROOKIE OC, ROOKIE DC
1. Head Coach RAH’s Winning-Losing Seasons as a HC:
1-4. His starts are bad. Like 0-7 bad.
2. Offensive Coordinator, Zachary Robinson, Win-Loss record as OC:
0-0. He’s never been an OC.
3. Defensive Coordinator, Jimmy Lake, Win-Loss record as NFL DC:
0-0. He’s been a college head coach, an NFL co-head coach (co-HC with Sean McVay?), but never a DC.
4. BIG WARNING SIGN
ATL’s opening 5 games are tough! PIT, PHI, KC, NO, TB. (0-5, 1-4).
5. PEDIGREE
ATL hasn’t had a winning season in 7 years. They only know losing.
June 21st, 2024 at 6:52 pm
Dude…what does weeks 16 and 17 of last season have to do with this year…You are just one of dozens that come here to post useless dribble
June 21st, 2024 at 7:04 pm
Does it really matter who loves who?
When I was a kid there were a few handfuls of writers and talking heads who went out on the precarious limb of prognostication. That was then, and many refused to do so to avoid the embarrassment of being wrong. Those days are gone. Idiocy is in and being wrong is forgotten overnight.
Today there are uncounted numbers of websites, radio shows and so-called writers who are forced to make predictions from their respective bosses.
Doesn’t matter if they’re wrong or right, it’s about clicks and ratings.
And being wrong, or a confirmed idiot, only gets more attention, and attention = $.
Look at Aaron Rogers and his punter buddy.
Twenty years ago Rogers would’ve kept his mouth shut (he did) and an ex-punter would’ve been laughed off the air. A punter with a TV show? HAHAHAHA!
Not today. Fools rush in to cash in and it’s working.
So don’t be hard on our old GM for saying he likes the Falcons. It’s the off-season thing to say. He’s just going with the flow.
Last I checked they still have to play the games, so why get your ire going over some fool’s, or anybody’s opinion? If you’re an opinion junkie, there’s so many out there these days just find one you like and stick with that.
June 21st, 2024 at 7:08 pm
@Dude – I agree 100%.
Offense was way too inconsistent last year. Same with the defense, and in particular the pass rush.
Both have to improve to stay on top of the division and go further in the playoffs.
June 21st, 2024 at 7:16 pm
This is great news. The fact that stammering Mark Dumfuknik, the worst GM in Bucs and possibly NFL history, likes a team means he would have done what they’ve done.
Cue 4-13 for the Fowlclowns. Every time I see the boob’s name or hear him blurching on NFL network, I get 28-52 PTSD and watch Michael Bennett being shunned because DuhQuan Bowers was ready to roll, Cam Jordan talked too much and didn’t pass the secret cafeteria test, and then the whole Darrelle Revis debacle-fiasco.
Incompetent boob makes me puke.
June 21st, 2024 at 7:42 pm
Phew… Good news 👏 His judgment is terrible.
June 21st, 2024 at 7:51 pm
I just keep shaking my head at all these talking head’ projections that are being paraded daily. We ALL have opinions, and the only thing different between Dominik’s and any of ours is that he gets paid to provide his. Still, it’s not any more valid than any of ours.
Personally I think the Falcons will do better this season than last season. They went 7-10, but were 6-6 at one point … lost 4 of their last 5 to the Bucs, Panthers, Bears & Saints. Can’t blame Arthur Blank at all for firing that coaching staff. They folded like a cheap suit. In those last 4 losses BTW, the Falcons turned the ball over 10 times (and got 0 takeaways). IOW they self-destructed.
June 21st, 2024 at 7:51 pm
I don’t think the torn Achilles will make much of a difference to Cousins. He pretty much stands in the pocket and lets the play develop even though he knows he is going to get killed. He is a tough guy.
The Bucs defense really has to get to him fast. Big concern w/o a good edge rush.
I think Atlanta will be a contender if we can’t put Cousins on his back. I also think that the Bucs offense is under rated because the experts are expecting the same team as last year. Think everyone will be in for a big surprise with the reworked O line and speed at WR. Coen will be much better than Canales and we will see a more complete game plan. That’s my hope anyway….
June 21st, 2024 at 8:14 pm
Dummynik likes the Dirty Birds eh?
Dom was one of the worst ‘talent evaluators’ the NFL has ever seen. In FIVE years (and always selecting from the top half of every round) he drafted exactly 3 good players – McCoy, LD54 and Gholston
Fluck all this Falcon love.
Bucs have better ‘weapons’ overall than the Falcons – without question….
I am confident Tampa Bay’s defense will be better than last year. Which means… If the OLine is fixed – The Buccaneers are going to be hard to beat in 2024.
June 21st, 2024 at 8:44 pm
Fact still remains today, Can’t go far in the playoffs without a good defense. As of now it looks like the Falcons defense is going to match up to Calijah Kancey and the Bucs defense. Let’s Go Bucs!!
June 21st, 2024 at 8:45 pm
Falcons defense isn’t going to match up to Bucs D**
June 21st, 2024 at 8:47 pm
Could any Bucs fan care LESS?
June 21st, 2024 at 8:49 pm
I’m so surprised this “rockstar” only had one go as a GM.
He such a talent. LMAO!
Go Bucs!
June 21st, 2024 at 9:23 pm
For once I may be the contrarian on this topic. I do not favor the Falcons over the Bucs and I like the Bucs QB more than the Falcons, BUT the Falcons have incorporated some nice young talent into their squad and while I do not believe they are favorites they will be the Bucs greatest challengers.
Injuries and LUCK could determine who wins the Divison. I love the Bucs chances but I certainly do not dismiss the Falcons. As for Cousins, who really knows how much the injury will hamper him. It obviously won’t help but Cousins has never earned is bucks with his legs.
I’m not a football purist, perhaps someone like Cobra has observed but I do not even know which Achilles Cousins tore. If it’s the foot he has to plant to deliver velocity won’t that present a significant challenge? If it’s his left foot that he’s just using to step into the throw won’t that be less of a challenge.
I’m no QB expert so I’m literally just asking.
June 21st, 2024 at 9:51 pm
Look at the fanbois get so incensed knowing that their loverboi Baker is part of the reason Dumbneck is going with the Falcons, because we limped our way into the South crown and the playoffs. As usual calling people names because they don’t stand in line behind their love of Mayfield. Head to head Cousins is a better qb and they have a better running attack. Cousins isn’t Mr. Mobile so that injury will only affect so much. True Buc fans saw Mayfield struggle in the first half of almost every game until he finally figured out the defensive hand signals instead of learning how to read them before the snap. If he could put together a complete game on a regular basis then we’d have reason to really back him but unfortunately for us he’s never gotten better every year. If he could get the ball into the endzone on at least 7 of our opening drives he and the team would’ve been much better and more of us would back him.
June 21st, 2024 at 10:33 pm
Obesity can affect cognitive skills.
June 22nd, 2024 at 3:30 am
That proves it! Dominik has gotten even dumber since he left One Buc.
Go Bucs!
June 22nd, 2024 at 3:32 am
He knows because Rich McKay told him so.
Go Bucs!
June 22nd, 2024 at 5:10 am
Agree with many other comments. I will give Dominik kudos for his military community work and some of the recruits he landed. However, it has been over ten years since he was with the Bucs.
Cousins is not the Goat. Don’t understand this bandwagon hype going on. I really like Cousins, good guy, nice family man. However, Penix may actually be their main QB before this next season ends. Dominik talking about the pieces of Cousins being dominant. Cousins has been in the NFL 12 years, no SB, and has only won 1 playoff game. Had an injury and is just coming back. He might be the guy mentoring and providing guidance in the locker room, but what about on the field? We shall see.
June 22nd, 2024 at 7:29 am
ATL’s offense might be good but their defense got shredded towards the end of the year and did little to improve and Raheem is not some creative defensive mastermind that can stump offenses
ATL will not be some unstoppable juggernaut like a lot of clueless analyst think
June 22nd, 2024 at 10:41 am
Ok so Mark Dominick he really hurt this franchise as a GM he just couldn’t pick talent. I know he was here a long time in the front office but wow Tampa had some terrible years under him. So don’t put too much credit into his opinions. Cousins ran out of Minnesota because he didn’t want to compete with a rookie, well Kurt karma sucks . 12 seasons on your 3rd Team and 1 playoff win to your name. Not a single Viking fan shed a tear to see him leave town
June 22nd, 2024 at 11:02 am
I do not get the love for those receivers. They have all been disappointments so far.
Is Dominik the guy who installed Rah-rah at HC in Tampa?
June 22nd, 2024 at 12:45 pm
I’ve read a lot of odd things out here but, “If Cousins can or cannot plant his foot he will still do well throwing the ball and will throw it in the dirt a few times a game to stay upright and avoid contact,” has to be the oddest I have ever read,
June 22nd, 2024 at 12:52 pm
Larrd Says:
June 22nd, 2024 at 11:02 am
I do not get the love for those receivers. They have all been disappointments so far.
———-
Who is their QB?
June 22nd, 2024 at 2:58 pm
“On paper” we have a tougher schedule than last year according to many. We look as though we improved over last season. Seems to me that Baker will be more settled even though we have a new OC again. I project that we probably will win at least ten games.
Forever optimistic! Go Bucs!
June 22nd, 2024 at 4:07 pm
Does anyone have an answer to Stpetebucfan’s question? WHICH FOOT did Cousins injure?
If no one answers I will ask it again on another post here.
June 22nd, 2024 at 6:22 pm
Cousins injured his third foot.
June 22nd, 2024 at 6:24 pm
Also known as Right Achilles.
June 22nd, 2024 at 6:25 pm
Come right at his overrated arse through the A gap.
June 22nd, 2024 at 10:48 pm
Artie Smith misused all of his players for a stupid scheme that would make a coach from the 50s hot and bothered. The Dixie Chicks getting rid of him for a modern oc is an upgrade immediately. The real key will be how well they can all gel and if Kirk is healthy. They have plenty of weapons
June 22nd, 2024 at 11:02 pm
Leopold makes a point – no Buc could cover Drake London last year and he came three yards from ending Bowels’ head coaching career with Todd’s famous “prevent incompletions” defense.
June 23rd, 2024 at 6:28 pm
The worst NFL GM in history has an opinion there’s an 95 percent chance he is wrong. How do not has a job giving an opinion is beyond me.
The falcons will win their 7 games as always. That would be a success with a new coach new oc and DC, new qb and an overrated te and wr who have never produced but people think are good based on where they were drafted.