The Atlanta Falcons snapped a five-game losing streak on Sunday with a 24-10 win against their NFC South rival, the New Orleans Saints, which was great for Raheem Morris and company. Atlanta played well defensively, getting after the quarterback, and the offense had a productive game, being able to capitalize on turnovers.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins went 16/23 for 199 yards and two touchdowns to one interception. The offense as a whole played, and so did the defense, sacking Saints’ rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. But even with a victory over the New Orleans Saints, do the Falcons foresee changes being made?
Falcons Have Dropped Many Close Games
The Falcons have had multiple games where they lost by seven points or fewer. Most notably in Week 9, where they lost 23-24 to the New England Patriots in a game that many thought should’ve been won. Wide receiver Drake London had a game-changing touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the kicker at the time missed the extra point, and they ended up losing the game.
Also, in Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Falcons lost 31-25 in overtime. Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor had a great performance, rushing for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Even in the loss, people questioned Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris’ decision-making as he did not call a timeout right before halftime, which could’ve given them another chance to score points or at least get in field goal range.
Ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, some speculated that if the Falcons lost, then Morris would be fired, either after that game or the end of the season, due to them losing so many close games, going 0-2 vs division opponent Carolina, and their struggles on 3rd down. But the victory against New Orleans on Sunday may have given Atlanta a few more reasons to keep Morris at the helm.
Why the Atlanta Falcons Might Give Raheem Morris Another Chance
Yes, the Falcons have lost a lot of close games this year, and we were on a five-game losing streak at one point. But they may want to keep Morris as the head coach, at least for another season. Here’s why.
Morris hasn’t been the coach very long, only for about a season and a half officially, not counting his time as the interim head coach. They signed Kirk Cousins back in 2024, but that didn’t pan out the way most thought as Cousins was benched late in he season. 2025 was Michael Penix Jr.’s first season starting since Week 1, but the Falcons haven’t played that well overall. A lot of that falls on Morris.
However, the Falcons have dealt with numerous injuries to their offensive line, wide receiver corps, and defensive backfield. More recently, Penix Jr. tore his ACL against Carolina in the second game.
Morris’ decision-making on the field has potentially cost them some games. It’s not entirely his fault, but a substantial part of it is. They may not want to fire Morris because they’ve gone through coaching changes in recent years and want to have someone there long term. They need to look to the next season as this one may be lost with them being 4-7, but they’re not done yet.
If the Falcons give Morris another year with a healthy team, then they may have another chance at the playoffs and can have an even better season than the one they’ve been having this year. So, to answer the question, has Raheem Morris bought more time as the Falcons’ head coach? Yes, he has.
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The Atlanta Falcons will face the New York Jets in Week 13 on Sunday, and winning against them can give Morris more confidence going into the final stretch of the season. PFSN has the Falcons’ offense at a 74.9 Impact Score while the defense is at 75.2 Impact Score.
