This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/JeffMurdock_ on 2025-03-02 22:04:54+00:00.
Overview
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Division: NFC South (2nd, 4-2).
Record: 8-9. Seventh consecutive losing season and seventh consecutive season missing the playoffs
Points For: 389 (22.9/g) 13th of 32
Points Against: 423 (24.9/g) 23rd of 32
Quick History:
Since the Atlanta Falcons last won a playoff game:
- The Philadelphia Eagles broke their Super Bowl duck, got rid of their coach and QB(s) and won another ring with the replacements
- Patrick Mahomes took over as starter, won two MVPs and three Super Bowl rings
- Lamar Jackson got drafted and won two MVPs, including the second ever unanimous MVP
- U(sic)GA won two nattys and have been the only Georgia based team to ever play a playoff game in the Falcons’ new dome
- Tom Brady won another ring with the Patriots, came to the Falcons’ division to drag his nuts on them twice a year, won another ring, and finally lost to the Falcons for the first time in his storied career, in his last regular season game.
It’s been a while, man.
2023 Offseason and 2024 Preseason
Arthur Smith, the man brought in to right the ship and clean the Quinn/Dimitroff mess, put his chips on Desmond Ridder having a breakout sophomore year. That did not happen and Smith paid with his job.
The Falcons were quite deliberate with their coaching search. After getting used by Jim Harbaugh to get the Chargers to pay him more, and somehow inexplicably being the only franchise to seriously consider newly unemployed Bill Belichick, the Falcons decided to go with familiar face Raheem Morris. Morris had been on the coaching staff under Dan Quinn, having coached on both sides of the ball, and was the interim HC of the team after Quinn got fired in the middle of the 2020 season. Morris had interviewed for the HC job in the offseason, but was passed over in favor of the man he was now replacing. He instead joined Sean McVay’s staff at the Los Angeles Rams, and won a ring in Super Bowl LVI as their Defensive Co-ordinator.
Raheem brought in Zac Robinson as the Offensive Co-ordinator, another McVay protege fast-tracking through promotions in the league. For his Defensive Co-ordinator, he brought in Jimmy Lake, who he had coached alongside in the past.
Key Free Agency Deals:
Kirk Cousins, QB: The Falcons won the Kohls Cash sweepstakes, signing the king of getting the bag to an eye watering four year $180 million deal, guaranteeing him $100 million in the first two years. Theoretically the deal made sense; Kirk has been a top half NFL QB for nigh a decade and is a top 10 QB on his best day. He’s also played his best ball in a McVay derivative offense, so pairing him with a McVay acolyte seems like a good idea. The open question was how well he’s recovered from the achilles tear he suffered after a stellar start to the 2023 season in Minnesota. Cousins landed his new franchise in hot water in his opening press conference, costing them a fifth round pick in the 2025 draft.
Darnell Mooney, WR: signed to a three year $39 million deal, with $26 million guaranteed, to be the Falcons WR2 and stretch the field. Apart from one productive season, Mooney hadn’t shown a lot in Chicago, and this was quite a gamble.
Ray-Ray McCloud III, WR: signed to a two year $6 million deal, adding WR depth and a speed element
Charlie Woerner, TE: former Bulldog, signed to a three year $12 million deal to be the Falcons new TE2
The Falcons also re-signed Nate Landman, LB (ERFA), Kentavious Street, DT, KhaDarel Hodge, WR/ST, Ryan Neuzil, IOL and Storm Norton, OT to shore up some depth in their roster. In perhaps the biggest move of the off-season, they also retained Liam McCullough, LS.
Justin Simmons, S: signed for a one year deal just before the season was about to start, with fans (and probably the coaching staff) panicking at the prospect of Ritchie Grant spending another season as starter.
2024 DRAFT:
Round 1, Pick 8: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington: The Falcons upended everybody’s draft board by choosing Kirk Cousins’ heir right after backing up the Brinks truck for him. It was truly puzzling for the franchise to make the luxuriest of luxury picks when the roster had so many holes and their pass rush had been anemic for more than a decade. It truly seemed that the Falcons were deeply scarred from the QB uncertainty from the past two seasons and overcorrected. Penix had shown a lot of good college tape, with superior processing, a pretty deep ball and a clutch factor. He had also finished all four of his active seasons in Indiana with injuries, before leading the Huskies to the national championship and finishing the Heisman runner-up. As with many covid-affected college players, Penix was an older rookie.
Round 2, Pick 35: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson: The Falcons traded up in the second, sending the third rounder they got from the Jaguars for Calvin Ridley. One might have thought the Falcons were about to take one of the first round talent corners (Cooper DeJean, Kool-Aid McKinstry) that had somehow slipped to the second round. One would have thought wrong. Ruke had solid tape in college and added some youth and pass rushing juice to an aging interior defensive line. Ruke was also firmly in the 50-70 pick range on most big boards, so it was a mystery why the Falcons traded up for him.
Round 3, Pick 74: Bralen Trice, LB, Washington: Finally, an edge rusher! Trice played with power and has a high motor. He lacked burst and quick twitch, which could limit his upside.
Round 4, Pick 109: Brandon Dorlus, DT, Oregon: A five tech that plays like a three tech. Impressively built but with little production and instincts to show for it.
Round 5, Pick 143: JD Bertrand, LB, Notre Dame: Another older rookie. High character, made every tackle, team captain, insert favourite platitude. Slow, short arms, got stuck on blocks.
Round 6, Pick 186: Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama: Depth behind Bijan and Allgeier.
Round 6, Pick 187: Casey Washington, WR, Illinois: Primarily a special teamer, might get a boost if he develops chemistry with Penix on the second team.
Round 6, Pick 197: Zion Logue, DT, Georgia: Late round Bulldog to throw a bone to the Georgia fans. Run stuffing nose tackle with very little pass rush upside to speak of.
The Falcons graded towards the bottom in most grading exercises done post-draft. They had drafted zero obvious starters despite having massive holes all over the roster. They completely punted on the secondary despite having very little besides AJ Terrell. All of the draft picks made the final roster, except Zion Logue who was picked up by the Bills from the Falcons’ practice squad, and Bralen Trice, who tore his ACL in the first preseason game and went on season ending IR.
Trades:
Desmond Ridder for Rondale Moore (Cardinals): The Ridder experience in Atlanta ended with a whimper as both teams cut their losses on prospects they had high hopes from. Moore got injured in training camp and missed the entire season, the last season under his current contract. Ridder was cut in final roster cuts by the Cardinals.
2025 third round pick for Matt Judon (Patriots): Having painted themselves in a corner in free agency and the draft, the Falcons were desperate for top tier edge rush talent. They found a willing trading partner in the Patriots and acquired four time pro bowler Matt Judon on an expiring contract. Hopes were high that Judon, who had registered double digit sacks in his last two full seasons, would be the catalyst to push the pass rush from completely abysmal to below average.
Taylor Heinecke for a conditional 2025 pick (Chargers): With the acquisition of Cousins and Penix, Heinecke became good trade bait for a team looking to upgrade their backup. The Chargers, sick of whatever Easton Stick is, jumped for a seventh rounder that could rise to a sixth rounder.
Key Losses:
Calais Campbell, DT: Miami Dolphins
Jonnu Smith, TE: Miami Dolphins
Cordarelle Patterson, RB: Pittsburgh Steelers
Jeff Okudah, CB: Houston Texans; team should have done more to keep him
Bud Dupree, LB: Los Angeles Chargers
Mack Hollins, WR: Buffalo Bills
There a few more departures of offensive pieces to Pittsburgh (WRs Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson, TE MyCole Pruitt) where Arthur Smith landed. One offensive piece, oddly enough, who did not follow Smith to Pittsburgh, was QB/TE Feleipe Franks (went to the Panthers instead), who Smith was obsessed with during his time in Atlanta.
Preseason:
Week 1 Lost at the Miami Dolphins 13–20
Week 2 Lost at the Baltimore Ravens 12–13
Week 3 Lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 0–31
2024 Regular Season
Regular Season:
Week 1: vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Arthur Smith revenge game. The Mercedes-Benz was a sea of yellow. The Falcons defense kept Justin Fields and company out of the end zone, but that did not matter because Chris Boswell was perfect where the Falcons offense was horrendous. It looked like Kirk wasn’t trusting his planting foot fully in his first game back from his achilles injury last season. Zac Robinson’s game plan did not help out at all:
The Falcons were in pistol or shotgun on 96% of their snaps today. …
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