Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he’s ‘definitely more optimistic’ about his playoff hopes

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Arthur Blank strolled into Jimmy Cribb’s press box wearing a red button-down shirt trimmed with thin black stripes, black jeans and a red and black belt. He sat behind a rectangular white table draped with a black Atlanta Falcons blanket.

For the next half hour, the 81-year-old Atlanta owner discussed quarterbacks, locker room changes and, perhaps most importantly, expectations — of which he has plenty.

Most importantly? Blank expects the Falcons to play games through the end of January.

“I hope we’re in the playoffs,” Blank said. “And I have reason to believe we’ll be very competitive this year. But we’ve got to play the schedule, play the teams and get there.”

Blank acknowledged that 31 other owners feel the same enthusiasm he does and that Atlanta’s schedule is competitive. Blank said he reviewed it again Monday night, discussing the impending Week 1 reunion with recently fired head coach Arthur Smith and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Among the biggest items on Atlanta’s schedule is the return of primetime games, with the Falcons scheduled to play four: Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, Sunday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 and Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.

The Falcons’ last primetime game was on November 10, 2022, against the Carolina Panthers. Atlanta suffered a 25–15 loss on Thursday Night Football and, in 2023, was relegated to a standalone Sunday morning time slot in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4.

Blank understands why the Falcons haven’t been highlighted. After all, they went 7-10 in each of Smith’s three years. Between record, competitiveness and the right kind of matchups, Blank said it’s the NFL’s responsibility to provide a product fans want to see.

And this year, Atlanta meets those criteria – and has the prime time slots to prove it.

“I think the fact that we have four national games to none the last two years is a tribute to (the NFL’s) feeling that we have a much more competitive team this year,” Blank said. “So I’m excited about that.”

Blank is entering his 23rd year as owner of the Falcons. The team has a 178-176-1 record under his leadership with eight playoff appearances under his belt.

But over the past six years, the story has taken a negative turn.

Atlanta has won seven games in five of those six, with the lone exception being a four-win season in 2020. The Falcons have not made the playoffs during that span and have not been above .500 in the regular season since 2017.

Blank believes that this situation, while disappointing, is merely a bump in the road to his tenure at the helm rather than a reflection of where the organization is headed.

“We’ve had a very competitive team for many years and we’ve had winning records year after year,” Blank said. “We’ve had six years where our record hasn’t been what we wanted it to be. There have been reasons for that.

“But reasons are reasons, and we have to address them and make sure we eliminate them.”

Perhaps the biggest reason is at quarterback, a position Blank called “deficient” on Jan. 8, the afternoon after firing Smith. The Falcons have since retooled the room, signing four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins ​​to a four-year, $180 million contract and drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.

Blank said he and the organization saw the aftereffects of not having a succession plan in place after Matt Ryan left in the spring of 2022, and that redoubling efforts was a plausible path to building a competitive team in the short and long term.

In January, Blank sought to replace Smith by emphasizing the need to find a coach with a plan for the quarterback position. Morris provided one, and Blank is pleased with how the position is shaping up heading into the fall.

Blank is also excited about the staff Morris has built, citing the coordinator trio of Zac Robinson (offensive), Jimmy Lake (defensive) and Marquice Williams (special teams) and the depth assembled beneath them.

But the roster is Blank’s biggest point of pride. He cited the improvements made in free agency, the quality of the draft picks and the quality of aging past draft picks and free agents to bolster the defensive line, offensive skill positions, quarterback space and young core of defensive talent as particularly notable.

“I’m very excited, for all the right reasons, about where we are right now,” Blank said. “I’m reasonably excited. I have reason to be excited, excited.”

Blank said he has a strong relationship with Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, who keep him informed that they are like-minded, which is another reason the Falcons hired Morris on Jan. 25.

Since Rich McKay, CEO of Arthur M. Blank Sports & Entertainment, was removed as general manager of football, Blank has been receiving updates directly from Morris and Fontenot. They talk every day during the season, but during the summer it’s less frequent because Blank wanted to provide a space to connect with friends and family.

Blank noted that a lot can be in the hands of the Falcons and that while the Falcons are projected to have playoff success, there is still a lot of work to be done. Blank, who said the organization is “motivated and ready to go,” looks back on the past 22 years with mixed feelings — and a sense that 2024 could mark a return to the expectations he has.

“I’m happy with where we are right now,” Blank said. “I look back and realize there have been times in 23 years where I’m incredibly proud of the number of wins we’ve had. The last six years have not lived up to my expectations and the expectations of the stadium and our fans.”

As he often does, Blank expressed his gratitude to the fans, who played a central role in Mercedes-Benz Stadium being voted the best game-watching experience.

But Blank, who considers himself a fan representative, said the Falcons must earn their support. Starving for a Super Bowl, Blank hopes the coming year will be unforgettable — and he’s feeling emotions he hasn’t felt since the Falcons last played in a championship game.

“Am I optimistic? I’m definitely optimistic, certainly more optimistic than I’ve been in a number of years,” Blank said. “And I have reason to think so. But every game is a battle. It’s going to be an interesting season in every way.”