The Falcons have either scheduled or completed more than a dozen interviews with potential head coaches, and there are a few more on the docket this week.
Jim Harbaugh is set to meet with the club for the second time, and Adam Schefter reported Atlanta has a lot of interest in the current Michigan head coach. Bill Belichick, who many consider to be the frontrunner for the vacancy, has already completed his second interview.
The Falcons have also completed initial interviews with several coaches preparing for conference championship weekend. On the NFC side of things, Atlanta has met with both Lions coordinators, Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson. On the AFC side, the club has met with a pair of Ravens defensive minds, Anthony Weaver and Mike Macdonald.
All four have either already been requested for a second interview or expect to have one, which isn’t a surprise. They’re four of the top candidates in this hiring cycle, so it shouldn’t shock Falcons fans to hear that Atlanta folks came away very impressed with each one, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Atlanta folks came away from first interviews very impressed with Macdonald, Weaver and both Detroit coordinators, which is one reason this search might go on a little longer than we originally thought. https://t.co/9h6LUvT7Af
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) January 22, 2024
Three of these are at the top of my wishlist for the Falcons — Weaver, Macdonald, and Johnson.
The Lions offensive coordinator is going to be highly coveted this offseason. He’s helped revive Jared Goff‘s career, aiding the former No. 2 overall pick back to elite territory among the league’s quarterbacks.
But what’s most enticing about Ben Johnson in Atlanta is the work he’s done with Detriot’s skill position group. There’s an uncanny resemblance between the Falcons and Lions skill group.
Detroit’s offense ranks third in yards per game (394.8) — fifth in rushing (135.9) and second in passing (258.9) — and fifth in points per game (27.1). The Falcons are a talented yet underachieving offense that is ripe to experience a rise like the Lions. Johnson can’t do it alone; the club needs a quarterback, but that’s the case with any head coach.
Weaver is a name I don’t see enough of, maybe because he’s not a coordinator, currently acting as the Ravens defensive line coach, an area that has been dominant during Weaver’s time in Baltimore. In 2021, the unit ranked first in rushing yards allowed and then third in 2022. This season, the Ravens rank first in points allowed and sacks.
However, the most intriguing aspect of his potential as a head coach is his ability to identify talent… among coaches. The current Ravens assistant head coach is said to have had a major role in the club’s search for an offensive coordinator this past offseason, which ultimately led to Todd Monken, who has been a home run of a hire for Baltimore and Lamar Jackson.
If Weaver truly did have a hand in hiring Monken, that bodes well for his chances of becoming a head coach because it’s an underrated aspect of the job.
Mike Macdonald showcased his value over the weekend against the Texans. Houston’s offense averaged over 340 yards per game in the regular season, which ranked 12th in the league, but only mustered 213 total yards against Baltimore, including 38 yards on the ground.
More impressively, the Texans offense didn’t score a single offensive touchdown. Macdonald’s defense has put some of the best offenses in the league in a straightjacket. The Ravens rank first or top five in every major defensive category, including DVOA, sacks, and scoring.
Hiring coordinators is an important trait of successful head coaches, and the Falcons need an upgrade at the quarterback position. Regardless of who ends up as Atlanta’s head coach, those will be the two most critical dominos to fall this offseason.
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Photographer: Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire
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