After Falcons' collapse, Raheem Morris says '2025 starts today'

It would have been hard to believe on Nov. 3 that the Atlanta Falcons were going to be watching the NFL playoffs from home for a seventh straight year, but that's the franchise's reality.

After beating the Dallas Cowboys 27-21, Atlanta was 6-3 and had a two-game lead and a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. But the Falcons dropped six of eight games down the stretch while benching their $180 million quarterback, Kirk Cousins, in the process.

Despite the calls made by many Falcons fans and radio personalities to dump Raheem Morris, the first-year coach survived "Black Monday" and will live to see another season in Atlanta.

That doesn't mean this year was any less of a letdown for Morris and the team.

"Obviously I'm disappointed for our organization, our fanbase, for all of us," Morris said in his press conference on Monday. "But the work has to start today. 2025 starts today and the process has already begun."

Cousins, who was benched in December after signing with Atlanta in the offseason, is expected to be cut before his $10 million roster bonus is due on March 17.

In his place, rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 775 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions over the final three weeks of the season. Penix, along with running back Bijan Robinson (1,456 rushing yards, 15 total touchdowns in 2024) and wide receiver Drake London (100 receptions for 1,271 yards and nine scores) will give Falcons fans reason to be hopeful heading into 2025 after an 8-9 campaign.

"Michael Penix in those last three games was definitely a positive," Morris added. "Pairing him with Drake London and Bijan Robinson, watching that combo get a chance to start fresh and grow will be something you really lean on.

"This is 100 percent an awful day. You hate it. But when you look at those guys on the offensive side of the ball, it does create a certain level of excitement for you. This is certainly a disappointing day because you want those guys to get a chance to showcase what they can do at a high level. We'll get there. It's our job to get there."

Defensively, Atlanta allowed 24.9 points per game, ranking 23rd in the league and representing the franchise's worst scoring defense since 2021 (27.0 ppg).

Morris didn't give a definitive answer on whether first-year defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake would return next season.

"We've got to evaluate all of our coaches," Morris said. "We've got to evaluate everything we do within our entire program. ... There will never be anything that's the same in the National Football League, whether it's players or coaches. That's just how it is."

--Field Level Media