The Atlanta Falcons could be on the verge of a huge comeback under new head coach Raheem Morris.
With preseason over, the 2024 NFL season is officially ready to get underway. Heading into it, one of the main focus points is going to be whether Raheem Morris can revive the Atlanta Falcons. In terms of recruitment, he’s ticked all the right boxes. But now, he has to coach — and it’s going to be a huge challenge. After all, the Falcons have experienced 6 straight losing seasons in a row and finished 9 out of the past 11 years without a winning record. The most recent season ultimately led to the franchise firing former head coach Arthur Smith, opening the door for new head coach Raheem Morris to take the reins on a 5-year contract.
Can Raheem Morris and the Falcons Win the NFC South Title?
In the NFL, you have to set realistic goals. Are the Falcons going to transform overnight and become the most dominant NFL franchise? No. And are they going to win the 2025 Super Bowl LVIII? It’s highly unlikely. However, when it comes to whether Raheem Morris can drag the Falcons to their first NFC South title since 2016, it’s a different conversation entirely.
Over recent seasons, the Falcons have invested big. Everyone remembers their $233m spending spree back in 2023, which kickstarted the rebuild and has given the Falcons one of the best offensive lines in the entire league. Just over a year later, the franchise made an even bigger statement by signing 36-year-old Kirk Cousins on a $180m deal, which was one of the biggest shocks of the offseason, especially considering that Cousins is an aging quarterback and is coming off a recent Achilles injury. However, Cousins still has a lot to offer and is arguably the cherry on the cake for what is already a stacked roster, with the likes of Drake London and Grady Jarrett also gearing up for a big season.
Nobody can deny that the foundation is there for Raheem Morris to work with. It’s now a case of whether he can get a roster of players firing who have underperformed for the past several seasons, despite coming close to a play-off place last year. He will also have to try and get Kirk Cousins back to his best, who is still recovering from injury and hasn’t featured during the offseason. If Morris gets both of these right, then the Falcons will almost certainly win the NFC South title and might even have a good run in the play-offs depending on who they’re up against. In terms of a Super Bowl appearance, though, there’s still a long way to go.
An Overview of the Atlanta Falcons NFC South Odds
Following the arrival of Raheem Morris and Kirk Cousins, most sportsbooks have the Atlanta Falcons at -145 odds to win the NFC South title, making them the outright favorites. This is something that Alex Windsor, head sports betting analyst from Gamble-USA.com, has shared his thoughts on:
“Since signing Kirk Cousins, the NFL world has started to take serious notice of the Falcons again. If everything clicks into place and they carry on their momentum from preseason, then they already have one hand on the trophy. And if you’re a gambling fan, keep your eyes on Cousins. As long as he stays injury-free, betting on the Falcons to win the NFC South title could be a smart move.”
What Type of Coach Is Raheem Morris?
Raheem Morris brings a lot to the table and is highly regarded in the football world (some might even call him underrated). Above all else, he’s an excellent defensive coach, having most recently worked as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams for three seasons. He also has previous experience serving as head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, as well as interim head coach of the Falcons in 2020, where he had a record of 4-7. Now, he’s back with the Falcons and is set with the task of getting them back where they belong — but not many fans are excited about the appointment.
After former head coach Arthur Smith was dismissed at the start of 2024, Falcons fans were desperate – with many of them venting their frustrations about it on Twitter – for a big-name offensive coach to come in. The Falcons then went on to interview several impressive names, including the likes of Ron Riverra and Russ Grimm, before ultimately making the left field choice to go with Morris. It caused deflation amongst some of the fans, but the reaction was perhaps a little harsh, as Morris definitely has potential to do something big with the Falcons now that he’s officially back as head coach.
The most likely outcome with Morris as Falcons head coach is that he’s going to be extremely simple, straightforward, and pragmatic. The team will be defensively tighter and Morris will also focus on developing the younger talent, too, which he has a proven track record at doing. And despite only having a record of 21-38 in his career as a head coach, don’t be surprised when that record quickly starts to turn around if the Falcons get off to a flying start.
Summary
All signs point to a great season for the Falcons. If they can win the NFC South title and go on a strong run in the playoffs, then it’ll be job done for Raheem Morris in his first season as head coach. However, if Morris is to have a losing season, then it could tempt the Falcons to rereview the previous 14 candidates they interviewed before and make another decision. The pressure is on — but Morris might just deliver.
