2024 NFL Season – Atlanta Falcons Team Preview

Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab discuss whether new Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris can elevate the Falcons’ defense to match his potent offense. Listen and subscribe to the “Zero Blitz” podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

I’m really sold on the Falcons this year.

I don’t know why I just got it, I got the good, good, good, good feeling, like I was stealthily under the effect of the Falcons.

So give me, give me your one big thing.

Yeah, that’s my one big thing about the Falcons and we could talk about their offense for days.

We all talked about it out of season.

Excellent addition to the drama of Cousins ​​and Michael Penick.

They have all these weapons.

But for me, I think about Raheem Morris and his defense, Raheem Morris, obviously their new head coach, he’s been a wonderful defensive coordinator his whole career, getting a second chance as a head coach.

And I think the Falcons’ offense is going to be good.

For example, I don’t really see a lot of avenues where, yes, Kirk Cousins ​​could struggle with his Achilles tendon and the quarterback controversy could creep in at some point, but I believe the Falcons’ offense will be good enough.

My question for them is: Can the defense be good enough to get them to the playoffs and actually be a factor?

Not only, uh, hey, we won eight or nine games, we won the NFC South.

We’re going to have some bounce back in the first round, but actually, we’re going to be a team that other opponents fear in the playoffs, because of our defenses.

This defense hasn’t found a pass rusher in years and years and they didn’t invest in one in the draft.

They selected Michael Pennix instead.

Very questionable.

Just adding Raheem Morris would fix the defense and if you can elevate that defense to the middle of the pack in the NFL, I think you can make a huge difference in how the offense is going to play.

They could score a lot of points with Bijon, Pitts, Drake London and all the others.

If the defense improves as well, this could really be a great season for the Atlanta Falcons and a lot of that depends on Raheem Morris and how he fixes this defense.

He will also have to ensure that everything goes well in this locker room.

I mean, we talked about it at the time, but, you know, the selection of Michael Pennix is ​​going to create questions if Kirk doesn’t play well, if that Achilles tendon has a lingering effect.

And, you know, I’m going to be consistent with what I said Tuesday about the Jets.

I don’t like a 7,384 year old quarterback coming back from an Achilles injury.

I don’t care if we’re talking about Aaron Rodgers, Kirk’s cousins, or Mother Teresa trying to get by.

You are coming back from an Achilles injury later in your career.

I think there are real question marks if he doesn’t play well, how many weeks will it be before the questions start?

So, as a coach, can he remain consistent in this position?

We see it all the time in the college game.

Head coaches who mismanage the quarterback position and simply have a revolving door get people fired.

Raheem Morris really is like he hitched his wagon to this.

This is likely his last chance as an NFL head coach, he better have a real idea of ​​how to hold the locker room together if things don’t start off particularly well for Kirk.