The Atlanta Falcons are at a crossroads.
After a 3-2 begin, together with a formidable Week 6 victory over the Buffalo Payments, the wheels fell off. Atlanta misplaced 5 straight video games, in the end ending up at 4-9 heading into Week 15. The Falcons had been formally eradicated from the playoffs on Sunday.
Each time a group with playoff expectations falters, there’ll at all times be questions in regards to the teaching workers. However what the Falcons have skilled is way past faltering—this group has collapsed, completely and fully. To make issues worse, the division is broad open: the 7-6 Panthers are at present main the NFC South. Atlanta could solely have wanted 9 wins to take it and break an eight-season streak of lacking the playoffs.
Raheem Morris is now going through questions on his future in Atlanta. Morris was introduced in to raise a perpetually common Falcons group that had didn’t make progress below Arthur Smith. An skilled former head coach who grew to become one of many youngest in NFL historical past at simply 33 years previous again in 2009, Morris was seen as an intriguing candidate for a second alternative. Within the years previous his rent, Morris spent three seasons because the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, together with a Tremendous Bowl title run in 2021 and a playoff look in 2023.
Morris elected to go the “CEO” route as a head coach, bringing in rookie offensive and defensive playcallers and selecting to tackle a higher-level administration function. Given his expertise on either side of the ball, this method made some sense. Sadly, Morris has struggled in that function and his lack of management in all three phases—and in-game administration—has turn out to be a significant subject for the Falcons.
With Atlanta staring down one of many worst seasons in current historical past, it’s time to make a change at head coach. The entire physique of labor that Raheem Morris has delivered for the Falcons has not earned him a 3rd season.
Problematic coordinator hires
One of the crucial vital choices a head coach faces in the beginning of his regime is who to rent on the three coordinator positions: offensive, defensive, and particular groups. Many head coaches are playcallers in a single part, so a type of coordinators is extra of a lieutenant. However irrespective of the way you slice it, these three hires type the spine of your group in all three phases.
These hires had been much more important for Raheem Morris, as a result of he’s not a playcaller. As a “CEO” head coach, he trusts his coordinators to run the three phases of the group. A part of the attraction of Morris was his broad community of relationships throughout the NFL, and the assumption that he may assemble an All-Star workers in Atlanta.
Zac Robinson was thought-about a high offensive coordinator candidate on the time, and most had been excited to see him in Atlanta. Jimmy Lake, the previous Washington Huskies head coach and assistant head coach with the Rams, was introduced in to coordinate the protection—a way more questionable resolution. Morris elected to maintain Marquice Williams because the particular groups coordinator after a fairly strong tenure below Arthur Smith.
Curiously, Marquice Williams was the one skilled coordinator among the many three hires. Robinson had solely beforehand referred to as performs within the preseason, and was in any other case a very inexperienced OC. Jimmy Lake was a school head coach, however had by no means run an NFL protection earlier than. The idea was that Morris, given his intensive expertise on either side of the ball, may assist clean out any points and supply steerage to the rookie coordinators.
Sadly, that steerage could be wanted virtually instantly, as Jimmy Lake carried out an over-complicated and ineffective defensive system that the gamers appeared to detest. A protection coming off probably the greatest seasons lately below Ryan Nielsen collapsed fully as regression hit each single stage without delay. Lake’s protection was an unmitigated catastrophe, and it appeared that Morris needed to take management sooner or later later within the season. Lake could be fired after the season ended.
Zac Robinson’s offense managed to be fairly efficient to start out the 2024 season, no less than till Kirk Cousins was injured. Issues went off the rails rapidly through the mid-season stoop, however improved as soon as Michael Penix Jr. entered the lineup. Two of one of the best video games of Robinson’s tenure got here on the finish of 2024—the Falcons nonetheless wound up shedding each resulting from defensive struggles. There have been clear points with Robinson’s offense all year long, largely to do with recreation stream, third down, crimson zone, and total predictability. However many of those may simply be attributed to a first-year playcaller getting acclimated to the NFL recreation.
There have been excessive expectations for Zac Robinson in 2025, because the Falcons had been supposedly shifting into their aggressive window and he was now not a rookie OC. As a substitute, it grew to become clear virtually instantly that Robinson had not carried out the mandatory adjustments to repair 2024’s points. Atlanta’s offense was extra predictable than ever, the passing recreation ideas hadn’t developed, and the run recreation was stunted by an obsession with exterior zone working. Worst of all, Atlanta has turn out to be the worst third down offense within the NFL.
Marquice Williams, regardless of a strong profession below Arthur Smith, hasn’t been capable of modify to the NFL’s new kickoff guidelines. The Falcons punt and kick protection is among the many league’s worst, as is the return recreation. Jamal Agnew has been out and in of the lineup with damage, and has solely been reasonably efficient when wholesome. The Falcons, exterior of 1 season with a wholesome Avery Williams and a few memorable Cordarrelle Patterson kickoff returns, have largely stagnated within the return recreation below Williams.
We can also’t ignore the problems with the kicking recreation, the place the Falcons made the choice to stay with Younghoe Koo at a premium wage after a disastrous 2024 season. That mistake revealed itself virtually instantly, with Atlanta releasing Koo after Week 2 and bringing within the equally problematic Parker Romo. Romo made it seven weeks earlier than the Falcons lastly discovered a dependable kicker in Zane Gonzalez, who has to date missed only one 50-yard FG in very poor climate situations. Even so, the kicking recreation points undoubtedly price the Falcons no less than two wins in 2025.
In order that makes three problematic coordinator hires for Raheem Morris proper out of the gate. A very powerful three hires for a head coach to make, and all three will must be changed previous to 12 months 3. Certain, Jeff Ulbrich has been a marked enchancment over Lake. It’s good that Atlanta acknowledged that mistake rapidly. However three failed coordinators is just too a lot to bear. It signifies that the Falcons failed in all three phases below Morris’ steerage and decision-making. The final time that occurred, the Falcons changed all three coordinators and gave Dan Quinn two extra years, which proved to be a catastrophe in its personal proper.
That sort of complete failure can’t be neglected, and calls into doubt Raheem Morris’ judgment and team-building capabilities.
Poor teaching and roster administration
These important errors on the highest stage hires prolong by the remainder of the teaching workers as properly.
Alongside Jimmy Lake, Raheem Morris selected to usher in Jay Rodgers because the defensive position coach. Rodgers was coming off a tumultuous tenure with the Los Angeles Chargers, who had been among the many worst run defenses within the NFL and persistently had points with defensive position improvement. This was a curious resolution, to say the least, and it failed miserably. Rodgers was fired alongside Jimmy Lake after the 2024 season.
A giant win was really the hiring of Ike Hilliard to educate the broad receivers. Hilliard had a formidable resume and immediately grew to become one of the vital revered coaches on the workers. The outcomes had been speedy: Drake London and Darnell Mooney each had profession years and practically gave the Falcons their first 1,000+ yard duo since Julio Jones and Roddy White. Hilliard additionally turned profession depth participant Ray-Ray McCloud into a good WR3, who Atlanta desperately wanted. Even particular groups ace KhaDarel Hodge managed to contribute some huge performs on offense.
That made it all of the extra stunning when the Falcons made the choice to fireplace Ike Hilliard three weeks into the 2025 season. Raheem Morris initially mentioned the transfer was for “efficiency” causes, however later clarified it was resulting from “communication” points. It doesn’t matter what you concentrate on why this firing occurred—and what it’d imply behind the scenes—the outcomes have been damaging. Atlanta’s broad receiver room nosedived in productiveness, with Darnell Mooney a whole non-factor, Ray-Ray McCloud questionably benched after which lower shortly after Hilliard’s departure, and a rotating door of apply squad gamers contributing little or no on the sector.
The Falcons allegedly had points with Ike Hilliard’s “communication” again in 2024, and should have even thought-about firing him. However on the finish of the day, the choice was made to retain Hilliard and never usher in any extra broad receivers teaching. As a substitute, Raheem Morris seemingly modified his thoughts lower than a month into the season and left one of many youngest and most important place teams on the roster within the arms of quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates. The on-field outcomes communicate for themselves.
I feel it’s significantly notable that most of the finest coaches in Atlanta had been retained from Arthur Smith’s regime. Offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford and secondary coach Jerry Grey are two of essentially the most notable examples. There may be additionally a specific lack of expertise on the offensive teaching workers, with no veteran playcallers and even senior assistants (except for Ledford and the recently-fired Hilliard) who may assist mentor Zac Robinson.
Raheem Morris put all his eggs within the “Robinson is a wunderkind” basket with no fallback plan and nobody to tutor him if he struggled. That was one other large mistake, and once more, calls into doubt Morris’ team-building judgement.
I gained’t linger lengthy on the roster points, as these are associated to the teaching choices and clearly aren’t totally the fault of Raheem Morris. It’s unclear precisely how a lot blame Terry Fontenot deserves on this matter. However Morris undoubtedly had a hand in a few of the poor choices that led the Falcons to this catastrophic 2025 season. Signing Kirk Cousins and drafting Michael Penix Jr. in the identical offseason. Letting star heart Drew Dalman stroll and pairing an inexperienced Ryan Neuzil with a near-rookie quarterback. Downplaying Darnell Mooney’s damaged collarbone and doing nothing to exchange him, then releasing considered one of Atlanta’s solely starting-caliber receivers in Ray-Ray McCloud as part of the Ike Hilliard catastrophe.
These are simply the most important examples of a systemic downside. The Falcons do not make good choices with their teaching workers or their roster below the management of Morris.
Sport administration is one thing that many nice coaches battle with. Many of those choices could be simplified with analytics, however coaches ceaselessly function off of their intestine intuition. That’s high-quality for some coaches, and fewer acceptable for others. Some head coaches are wonderful playcallers or group leaders, and poor recreation managers. You set up with some inconsistent recreation administration in alternate for different constructive points.
Sadly, Raheem Morris is a really unhealthy recreation supervisor and he’s not supplying you with the opposite nice points. The Falcons have been suffering from poor timeout utilization and decision-making in end-of-half/recreation conditions all season lengthy. It’s an enormous motive why Atlanta’s document in one-score video games is properly beneath the anticipated .500 mark—the Falcons are simply 1-5 in 2025 after a mean 6-6 document in 2024.
The unlucky fact is that Morris appears to be a net-negative on gamedays, and that’s an unacceptable trait to have when what you’re not bringing different positives that translate to gameday success. Morris doesn’t name performs on offense or protection, and his “CEO” management has led to points in all three phases for the Falcons.
The Falcons are taking part in shedding soccer
On the finish of the day, the query that Arthur Clean and the opposite main decision-makers should ask is: Is there a motive to count on the Falcons to start out taking part in successful soccer below Raheem Morris? And after the higher a part of two seasons, I imagine the reply is clearly: no.
Raheem Morris failed the group in all three phases along with his choices to rent Jimmy Lake, Zac Robinson, and Marquice Williams. The teaching workers as an entire has struggled below his administration, with the Ike Hilliard firing standing out as a very egregious instance. Atlanta is now a complete teaching reset heading into 2026, with solely Jeff Ulbrich (Morris’ second try at defensive coordinator) wanting like a web constructive. His dealing with of the roster, in live performance with Terry Fontenot, has additionally been problematic.
Morris has developed a status as one of many worst recreation managers within the league. His resolution to obtain the ball to start out the sport is especially infuriating, provided that it’s a very unforced error. However his end-of-half/recreation decision-making is essentially the most disastrous side of his teaching. The Falcons have misplaced a number of video games resulting from teaching errors. Within the NFL, you need to win on the margins. Small benefits make all of the distinction when everyone seems to be on the high of their recreation. Raheem Morris is just not sufficient of a needle-mover as a head coach to tolerate such egregious recreation administration errors.
Above all these different points although, one want solely watch the Falcons on the sector. Atlanta is taking part in shedding soccer. The offense is a predictable, unorganized mess. Particular groups are the worst within the league, with the kicking recreation alone costing the group a number of wins by the primary half of the season. Jeff Ulbrich’s protection has been the lone brilliant spot, however even that aspect of the ball has been worn down by the remainder of the group’s points.
Raheem Morris took a perennially mediocre Falcons group to a one-game enchancment in 2024, and fired his hand-picked defensive coordinator after the season. In 2025, the expectation was for this group to lastly begin competing for the playoffs once more. As a substitute, the Falcons collapsed to 4-9 and are on the cusp of firing his particular groups coordinator and hand-picked offensive coordinator.
There’s no justification for Raheem Morris getting a 3rd season in Atlanta. The accidents on this roster are nothing distinctive in comparison with the remainder of the league. He merely hasn’t earned it, as his Falcons have turn out to be one of many basement dwellers of the NFL in his second 12 months on the helm. Clean has by no means fired a head coach after simply two seasons, however to maintain Morris he would want to imagine a turnaround is almost assured in 2026. It’s not clear how he may imagine that based mostly on the previous two seasons.
Raheem Morris is without doubt one of the coaches you need to succeed. He deserved a second head-coaching alternative given his expertise, observe document, and status, and has been talked up by friends and gamers due to his potential to construct relationships and preside over profitable defenses. However the NFL is a results-oriented league, and a enterprise. Arthur Clean should take into account Morris’ physique of labor in Atlanta over the previous two seasons, and make a tough resolution. That’s the burden of possession.
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