Raheem Morris is back. Honestly, if you told a Falcons fan five years ago that the guy who went 4-7 as their interim coach would be the permanent answer in 2024 and beyond, they might’ve thrown their sweet tea at you. But here we are. The NFL is a weird, cyclical business where timing matters just as much as talent, and for the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, the timing finally seems to align with the roster’s desperate need for an actual identity.
It’s not just about X’s and O’s. It’s about the vibe.
Arthur Smith had a vision, sure, but it was a "ground and pound" philosophy that felt like trying to use a flip phone in a 5G world. Morris walks into Flowery Branch with something Smith lacked: a genuine connection to the modern locker room and a Super Bowl ring from his time as the Rams' defensive coordinator. People like playing for him. That sounds like a cliché, but in a league where players can tune out a coach in three weeks, it’s everything.
The Long Road Back to the Big Chair
Morris isn’t some young wunderkind who skipped the line. He’s a survivor.
Remember his stint in Tampa Bay? He was 32 years old. He was younger than some of his players. He went 10-6 in 2010, which was a miracle given that roster, but then the wheels fell off. He got fired. He went to Washington to coach defensive backs. Then he came to Atlanta the first time and—get this—switched to the offensive side of the ball to coach wide receivers. That’s the kind of career pivot you usually only see in LinkedIn "hustle culture" posts.
By the time he took the job as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he had coached every phase of the game. He saw how Kyle Shanahan built an offense. He saw how Sean McVay managed a star-studded locker room. He’s essentially a human database of NFL coaching trends from the last two decades.
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Why the "Retread" Label is Lazy
Critics love the word "retread." It’s a sticky label. They used it for Bill Belichick when he went to New England after Cleveland. They used it for Andy Reid when he landed in Kansas City. Now, I’m not saying Raheem is the next Big Red, but the idea that a coach can’t improve after their first failure is just statistically wrong.
Actually, most of the successful coaches in the league right now are on their second or third act. Morris spent years deconstructing what went wrong in Tampa. He realized he was too much of a "player's coach" and not enough of a "program builder." The version of the Falcons head coach we see today is much more measured. He’s still got the energy—the man can talk a mile a minute—but there’s a strategic backbone there that wasn't present in 2009.
The Kirk Cousins Factor and the New Offense
You can't talk about the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons without talking about the $180 million man behind center. Hiring Morris was step one; signing Kirk Cousins was the "we’re all in" button.
For years, Falcons fans watched Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts wander around like lost tourists while the offense tried to "establish the run" with backup tight ends. Morris didn't just promise to change that; he brought in Zac Robinson from the Rams' staff to run the show.
This is huge.
The McVay coaching tree is the most coveted thing in football right now. By installing a 3-high, illusion-of-complexity system, Morris is finally letting the Ferrari out of the garage.
- Bijan Robinson is being used as a pass-catcher, not just a goal-line battering ram.
- Drake London is seeing the volume of a true WR1.
- Kyle Pitts... well, they're still working on that, but the targets are actually coming his way.
It’s about efficiency. Under previous regimes, the Falcons were a team that worked really hard to get three yards. Now, they’re a team that tries to make the defense guess wrong before the ball is even snapped.
Defensive Philosophy: No More "Bend But Don't Break"
One of the biggest gripes in Atlanta has been a defense that plays like it’s terrified of giving up a deep ball, only to give up 15-yard curls all day. Morris is a defensive mind at his core. He’s the guy who convinced Jalen Ramsey to play the "Star" position in LA, moving all over the field.
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He doesn't play a "static" defense.
If you watch the Falcons' defensive tape now, you see a lot of post-snap movement. They show one look—maybe a single-high safety—and then rotate into something completely different the second the quarterback starts his cadence. It’s confusing. It’s annoying to play against. And for a franchise that has historically struggled to rush the passer, this schematic trickery is the only way to survive.
The Leadership Vacuum
When Matt Ryan left, the soul of the team kind of evaporated. Grady Jarrett remained, but a defensive tackle can only do so much for the culture of an entire building.
Morris has stepped into that void. He’s been very vocal about "winning the South." He doesn't shy away from the expectations. In a division as volatile as the NFC South—where the Saints are cap-strapped and the Panthers are, well, the Panthers—the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons knows the window is wide open.
There’s a specific kind of pressure that comes with being a "win now" coach in a city that hasn't seen a playoff home game in forever. Morris seems to thrive on it. He’s not the stoic, grumpy coach. He’s the guy chest-bumping players on the sideline. That energy is infectious, but it only works if you're winning. If you lose while chest-bumping, you just look like a guy who’s out of touch.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Falcons' Search
The media cycle during the hiring process was obsessed with Bill Belichick. Every "insider" with a Twitter account swore it was a done deal. When Arthur Blank pivoted to Morris, the national reaction was a collective "Huh?"
But look at the context.
Belichick wanted total control. He wanted to bring in his own people, potentially upending a front office that had actually drafted pretty well lately. Morris offered collaboration. He wanted to work with Terry Fontenot, not replace him. In the modern NFL, the "General Manager as King" model is dying. It’s all about the partnership between the front office and the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
Morris understood that. He didn't come in demanding the keys to the entire building; he just wanted to drive the car.
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The Mid-Season Reality Check
No season is perfect. There are weeks where the defense looks gapped. There are games where Kirk Cousins looks his age. But the mark of a Morris-led team is the bounce-back.
In the past, a bad loss would turn into a three-game skid. This team feels more resilient. They play with a "short memory" that reflects their coach's own career path. You get fired? You keep going. You give up a 70-yard touchdown? You line up for the next snap.
Actionable Insights for Falcons Fans and Analysts
If you're trying to track whether the Raheem Morris era is actually succeeding, don't just look at the win-loss column. Look at these specific markers:
- Red Zone Efficiency: This was the Achilles' heel of the last three years. If the Falcons are finishing drives with six points instead of three, the Morris effect is real.
- Third-Down Variation: Watch how the defense disguises blitzes on 3rd and long. If they're generating "coverage sacks," it means the scheme is working.
- Player Retention: Watch the locker room quotes. When players start taking discount deals to stay in Atlanta, you know they believe in the head coach.
- Fourth Quarter Scoring: Under Arthur Smith, the team often looked gassed or conservative late. Morris's "aggressive-first" mentality should show up in the final ten minutes of the game.
The road to a Super Bowl is long, especially for a franchise with the specific kind of trauma the Falcons carry. But for the first time in a long time, the person standing at the podium doesn't look like they're guessing. Raheem Morris has been through the fire, and he’s come back with a very specific fire of his own.
Whether it leads to a trophy or just another "what if" remains to be seen, but the foundation is finally solid. Pay attention to the way this team carries itself in December. That’s when we’ll know if the second chance was the right choice.
Stop looking at the 2009-2011 Buccaneers stats. They don't matter. What matters is the 2024 Falcons and a coach who finally knows exactly who he is.
Keep an eye on the injury reports and the weekly practice squad elevations. Morris is notorious for finding "glue guys" who perform well on special teams before breaking into the defensive rotation. His ability to coach the bottom of the roster is his secret weapon. If the Falcons stay healthy and the "Zac Robinson" offense continues to evolve, the NFC South might belong to Atlanta for a long time.
Check the defensive snap counts every Monday morning. You'll see the rotation Morris favors—keeping his big men fresh for the fourth quarter. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and for the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, the race is just getting interesting.