For just the second time all season, the Atlanta Falcons won back-to-back games after their 26-19 Week 16 road win over the Arizona Cardinals. And unlike earlier this season, Atlanta didn’t need a bye week in between to make it happen, coming off a Week 15 NFC South win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
All in all, though, it does little to change what has been another disappointing season for the Falcons, who are now set to miss the playoffs for an eighth straight year. Sitting at 6-9 with two games remaining, the best Atlanta can do is finish 8-9 again — the same record as last season.
Another failed season spent stuck in mediocrity has naturally put second-year head coach Raheem Morris under scrutiny. The bigger question, however, is whether Falcons owner Arthur Blank would actually be willing to pull the plug after just two seasons. Doing so would give Atlanta its fourth head coach in seven years.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes that while Blank could ultimately move on from Morris, it may not come until next season — assuming things continue along the same path.
“Arthur Blank has generally been a patient owner, but if the Falcons do fire Raheem Morris after three losing seasons, it will be the second time in a row that Blank’s coach hire has been three-and-done,” Barnwell wrote. “The Falcons haven’t posted a winning record since 2017, which might hint at why Blank’s patience could be wearing thin.”
Arthur Blank Makes a Drastic Move That Could Effect Raheem Morris
At 83 years old, Blank has been chasing a Super Bowl for nearly two decades. He came agonizingly close in 2016, but since that collapse, the franchise has struggled to find its footing. With another season trending toward disappointment, Blank appears to be taking a harder look at the organization as a whole.
In his December 23 column, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Blank has initiated a “health check” on the Falcons, bringing in the consulting firm Sportology. Blank has previously used the firm with MLS club Atlanta United and the city’s NWSL expansion team.
“For the Falcons specifically, it’s an overall health check on the team’s operations,” Breer wrote. “And it’s not been a secret within the walls of the football facility that the evaluation is ongoing.”
That kind of review rarely signals stability for a coaching staff or front office.
Raheem Morris, Terry Fontenot Could Be Replaced
If Breer’s report wasn’t concerning enough, comments from NFL insider James Palmer only added to the uncertainty. Palmer suggested the scrutiny in Atlanta may extend beyond Morris and include general manager Terry Fontenot as well.
“That’s a spot I’m hearing around the league that more and more people believe could be more likely a change than one staying pat,” Palmer said. “I think they are analyzing everything in that building, from Terry Fontenot on down.”
Fontenot was hired in 2021 after leaving the New Orleans Saints, where he served as assistant general manager and vice president of pro personnel. Five seasons later, the Falcons still haven’t reached the postseason, carrying a 35-48 record with two games left in 2025.
Change may feel inevitable, but the final call still rests with Blank. He hired Fontenot and has kept him in place through five losing seasons. He also signed off on Morris, despite his previous 17-31 record as a head coach. Whether Blank is ready to acknowledge those decisions — and correct them — is the real question facing Atlanta.
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