Arthur Blank critical of Falcons players for onside kick gaffe

Arthur Blank is reacting just about how you would expect him to react after his team’s embarrassing collapse in Week 2.

Speaking Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio, the Atlanta Falcons owner was critical of Sunday’s showing against the Dallas Cowboys. Specifically, Blank criticized the players for their onside kick gaffe late in the fourth quarter.

“Clearly our defense is not playing at the level we want to see it play at,” he said, per Josh Alper of PFT. “Clearly on the last play of the game yesterday our players, you know, didn’t do what they, you know, either what they were instructed to do and they didn’t understand it.

“It’s clear though they didn’t, in my view, they didn’t clearly understand what the rules were and exactly what they had to do,” Blank continued. “I think that’s demonstrated when you watch the video of it.”

Down by two points with less than two minutes left, the Cowboys attempted an onside kick. Instead of making an effort to pick up the ball before it went ten yards, the Falcons just stared at it until it went far enough for a Dallas player to legally recover it.

The brain fart was just one component of an epic collapse on Atlanta’s part. Up 20-0 at one point and still holding a 15-point advantage in the fourth quarter, they crumbled late and lost on a Greg Zuerlein field goal as time expired. The Falcons are now 0-2 to start the season, and Blank clearly wants to see them get their act together.