After a frustrating win by the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, the franchise played its part in the NFC South race. Beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-28 earlier in the week opened the door for the Carolina Panthers to take control of the division and Atlanta to at least have the ability to play spoiler. Instead, Carolina dropped a winnable game to the New Orleans Saints, losing 20-17, dropping to 7-7 on the season, further exposing just how winnable a division the NFC South remains.
It is easily among the league's worst groups of teams, with a compelling argument for why the league should abandon division winners earning an automatic playoff berth. For Atlanta, this week is further confirmation of what a fumbled opportunity the 2025 campaign has been and why it is time to turn the page from head coach Raheem Morris. Even after an impressive win, there is no defense for a coach who has often looked ill-prepared and struggles to make simple adjustments.
The fact that you won't need to reach 10 wins to win this division in a crowded NFC playoff picture exposes what many Falcons fans already know. It is yet another wasted year, and a good coach would've had Atlanta well within the division picture. This is a roster talented enough to compete in the league's weakest division, even with the questions at quarterback.
Week 15 Results Expose that Falcons Must Part Ways with Failing Head Coach Raheem Morris
Even Kirk Cousins has enjoyed a resurgence, proving just how capable this roster was of winning the NFC South with the right head coach. The issues for the Falcons have been a failure to adjust within a game and a bland and predictable offense. All of this falls on the shoulders of Morris, who escaped blame for the collapse a season ago after Kirk Cousins imploded, and Younghoe Koo went sideways, leaving the Falcons offense in complete disarray.
However, this is year two. Not only has there been zero progress, but there has been a clear level of regression. Atlanta was eliminated from playoff contention in mid-December and locked up a losing record that keeps a streak dating back to 2017 alive.
It is impossible to put together a case for keeping Morris or any viable reason to believe he is going to change the results of what we've seen over the last weeks. This was further exposed by the fact that the head coach felt the need to celebrate after a Thursday night win as if the Falcons had just won anything of note. It was embarrassing and telling of an organization that has so often embraced mediocrity. With this in mind, Sunday's results should only strengthen the case against the head coach and make it clear it is time for Atlanta to make a change at the end of the 2025 season.