The Atlanta Falcons are free-falling with each passing week, reaching a new low after dropping a game to the rebuilding New York Jets. Losing to Tyrod Taylor and rookie head coach Aaron Glenn was a sharp wake-up call for Falcons fans that the season is indeed lost, and it is time that decision-makers were held accountable for the mistakes that brought us here. Losses to the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, and Jets sting in what was supposed to be the easy part of the Falcons' schedule. Instead, the season is over heading into December, and there is very little to be excited about.
Atlanta's season has exposed a harsh truth that head coach Raheem Morris isn't the answer and must be fired by the end of the season. As much as the head coach's personality makes it easy to cheer for him, there is zero question remaining that he isn't going to get the job done. If you doubt this, simply consider the fact that the coach recently noted, "there’s no such thing as a losing team, there’s only a losing leader," per On SI's Arkesh Ray.
While this sentiment can be questioned, there is zero doubt that Morris has been consistently outcoached over the last two seasons. There simply is no clear place for this team to turn as it continues to waste great seasons of elite youngsters like Bijan Robinson and Drake London.
Even if the Falcons go 5-0 down the stretch, it likely won't be enough to make the playoffs, making it clear that Morris shouldn't have much of a future in A-Town.
Falcons Must Fire Raheem Morris Regardless of What's Next
Losing to the Tyrod Taylor-led Jets or giving up 400 yards of offense to Bryce Young's Carolina Panthers are about as damaging as anything you can say about Morris. It isn't just the 4-8 record but the teams that the Falcons have lost to and how we've gotten here. Yet again, the Falcons are out of the playoff race before December truly gets underway and is left with a quarterback quandary.
This is a roster badly in need of new leadership and fresh offensive decision-makers. It is time for the Falcons to clean house and move on from a coaching staff that clearly isn't getting the job done. It doesn't help matters that Michael Penix Jr. is done for the year and has his 2026 status now in question.
All of this season's absurdities have left the Falcons with no choice but to bring in a fresh group of decision-makers and hope that owner Arthur Blank can finally pick a winning coach. This is something that has eluded the franchise for most of the last decade, with Dan Quinn and Mike Smith being the notable short-term exceptions.
While things would quickly turn sour for both coaches, there was at least a moment of relevance. Something that hasn't been the case for Atlanta dating back to the 2017 season, when Quinn had his last solid year with the franchise.
All of this adds up to the Falcons consistently making poor hiring decisions and leaving themselves no choice but to reverse course on their current head coach. Nothing is working, and any notable improvements likely won't mean much in the long run, especially if the 49-year-old HC is still steering the ship.
The Falcons' level of play simply isn't acceptable, especially given their talent. It is time for someone to pay the price for the franchise's failures, and starting with Morris makes the most sense.