After firing Arthur Smith, the Atlanta Falcons are looking for a head coach to serve as a replacement and, hopefully, an upgrade.
The Falcons ranked as the bottom-fourth offense in DVOA metrics at -18.6%.
The Falcons look to right the ship by bringing in Rams Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris as their Head Coach for his second stint in Atlanta.
Morris previously served as the Falcons Defensive Backs and Secondary Coach in 2015 until being promoted to Defensive Coordinator and eventually the Interim Head Coach after the firing of Dan Quinn.
Morris led a Rams Defense last year that ended the season at or slightly above league average in most statistics, such as yards per game, points allowed, and first downs allowed. The major statistics from this group are the 5.2 yards allowed per play, which keep offenses ahead of schedule for down and distance, and the league high of 986 penalty yards coming from the defense.
The Rams boasted top 10 defense against opposing tight ends and wide receivers last season. This is an upgrade as Atlanta struggled in coverage over the middle of the field, getting picked apart by tight ends on seam routes and crossing route concepts.
Rumors point out that Zac Robinson, the Rams’ Offensive Coordinator, will likely follow Morris to Atlanta. If that is the case, you would expect Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robison to have an uptick in production. Robinson led the league in pre-snap motion in his play calling last year while also creating exotic route trees that schemed Offensive Rookie of the Year Finalist Puka Nacua open all season. These concepts could take Atlanta’s fully kitted offense to the next step.
The Falcons currently have $26 Million in cap space, young weapons on offense, defensive personnel that has been retooled over the past three years, and a new coach leading the charge. It leaves me wondering what could happen at quarterback. Is Morris going to draft someone at 8? Or would he bring in a vet? Or try to see what is left with Ridder?
