When Arthur Blank fired Arthur Smith, it wasn’t immediately clear who the Falcons would target to be the next head coach, but it was understood that whoever was hired would have to fix the quarterback position.
There were different avenues Terry Fontenot and Arthur Blank could’ve gone with the head coaching search, but it ended with Raheem Morris, who returned to Atlanta with ambiguous expectations.
On the one hand, Blank didn’t fire Smith to rebuild but depending on who the new staff brought in at signal caller would impact expectations. If a rookie was brought in, there’s no way the Falcons could expect Morris to deliver wins in the same way the team would with a veteran.
When it was all said and done, Kirk Cousins signed a $180 million deal for four years, signaling that Morris and the Falcons were in win-now mode. Regardless of your opinion about how smart “going for it” is with a 36-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles injury, it doesn’t change the expectations that Atlanta’s head coach now carries.
But what are those expectations? Bleacher Report believes it’s a 10-7 finish and contending in the NFC South.
Morris should be judged in his first season on the improvement of his defense that finished 24th in DVOA and what this offense looks like with Cousins under center. Morris is a defensive head coach and their personnel will mostly be the same on that side of the ball.
The Falcons were in the NFC South race last season despite poor quarterback play and a defense that was below average. This season, the offense should climb to above average numbers, the defense should aim to be in the average range, and the Falcons should be real contenders to win the division.
Goal Win-Loss Record: 10-7
Unlike Arthur Smith with Desmond Ridder, there were no genuine expectations to compete, and somehow the Falcons didn’t meet them, costing Smith his job. Morris doesn’t have the luxury. I don’t have an exact number of wins to give you, but the expectation is to win the division, period.
It wouldn’t be this way had Atlanta acquired Justin Fields, one of the draft prospects, or even a lesser-quality veteran like Jacoby Brissett. The Falcons went out and got the top option on the market. Now, they’ll have to deliver.
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Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire
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