In the most highly anticipated Falcons season since 2017, Raheem Morris takes over for Arthur Smith in Atlanta ahead of the 2024 campaign.
The reason it’s eagerly awaited is because of Kirk Cousins, plain and simple. That’s how important the quarterback is in the NFL. Smith’s entire tenure was bogged down by poor play at the position, but that’s no longer an excuse.
The Falcons went to the Super Bowl in 2016 and lost in devastating fashion. Thomas Dimitroff and Dan Quinn mostly stuck with the status quo, outside of one key departure in Kyle Shanahan, ahead of the 2017 season as many fans believed they’d be right back in the thick of things.
Falcons fans quickly learned that getting back to the Super Bowl is harder than getting there the first time. 2018 came, losing record. 2019 was the same, and 2020 was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Arthur Blank ushered in a new era, hiring Arthur Smith to take over for Dan Quinn. There was a ton of excitement around Flowery Branch, as per usual when there is a changing of the guard. However, the roster itself wasn’t close to where it needed to be to compete.
The Falcons dealt with salary cap restrictions for the first two years of Smith’s time in Atlanta, impressively stringing together 14 wins in 2021 and 2022. 2023 was supposed to be different, though.
Out from underneath all of the dead money, Terry Fontenot was able to participate in free agency without financial limitations, and he added impact free agents at all three levels of the defense.
That side of the ball improved dramatically under Ryan Nielsen, but the quarterback play continued to hamstring the entire team. Eventually, Smith was relieved of his duties.
Coming into the hiring process, it didn’t matter who Arthur Blank landed on. That coach was expected to help fix the quarterback position in Atlanta. Raheem Morris got the job, and Terry Fontenot went out and got the best option on the market.
With Kirk Cousins in the fold, the expectation is for the Falcons to win the division, something they haven’t done since 2016, and host a postseason contest. That was never the case with Arthur Smith; that’s why it’s the most highly anticipated season since 2017.
Ahead of this monumental campaign for the Falcons, Raheem Morris got his first chance to speak to the team at Flowery Branch. The video is invigorating…
https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/status/1775297158998306992?s=20
Morris was always regarded as a radiant coach and human. Falcons fans who have never seen him in action are going to learn quickly how captivating he can be as a leader of men.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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