The Falcons decision to hire Raheem Morris was met with skepticism from many outside of the building, but there were also several former players, coaches, and executives that lauded the decision. It was a mixed bag, and through the first 16 games of his head coaching career in Atlanta, he’s been just that — a mixed bag.
The Falcons are 8-8 heading into the final week of the season, needing a miracle to break a postseason drought that’s existed since 2017, in large part because of Morris’ incompetence on Sunday night, keeping timeouts in his pocket with the season on the line and a rookie quarterback under center.
It was some of the most egregious and fireable offenses of clock management you’ll ever see at the professional level, and his explanation after the game was even more horrendous.
“Probably could have,” Morris responded after the game about his decision not to take a timeout on the final drive. “I thought the operation would be a lot faster there…in hindsight, could’ve been a better decision to take that timeout.”
Probably could have? Every 50-year-old man with a beer in his hand watching on television could have made that decision, and what makes it even worse is he did it twice, at the end of both halves, a total display of complete incompetence from a clock management perspective, something that’s been an issue many times this season.
There’s really no other way to describe the 2024 campaign other than yet another total disaster from the Falcons. Morris’ coordinator hires were mostly porous; although the jury is still out on Zac Robinson, at the very least, he underwhelmed. Morris’ motivation tactics ran stale at times, and his in-game management was mostly abysmal.
What makes it even more discouraging is this isn’t his first rodeo. Morris has been around the NFL for 20 years, spending multiple different stints as a head coach, and he’s still making mistakes that are totally unacceptable, even for first-time head coaches.
Of course, the Falcons aren’t going to hold anybody accountable for yet another disappointing season. Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot will smile in their three piece suits like snake oil salesman, hyping up Michael Penix Jr., who very well could end up saving their jobs for the foreseeable future.
An elite quarterback can mask a lot of holes, and there’s a chance Penix will reach that status. However, there’s also a reason why the best quarterbacks generally have a Hall of Fame head coach right beside them. The margin for error in the NFL is razor then, and that’s only magnified in the postseason. Every single detail — things most people wouldn’t even dream about considering — could be the difference in winning and losing.
If Raheem Morris doesn’t even know when to properly call a timeout, what else could he possibly be overlooking?
The answer is a lot, and eventually, his coaching mishaps will cost the Falcons on a much bigger stage, while Terry Fontenot’s inability to bring in talent through the draft will continue to hamstring the ceiling of the organization.
Neither of them appears to be on the hot seat, and in a year, everyone should expect to be having these same conversations.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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