3. Jimmy Lake
Why did it take the defensive coordinator so long to realize Kaden Elliss might be his best pass rusher? Let's be clear here, it isn't Lake's fault that the Falcons don't have great pieces to rush the passer and have made consistent mistakes in big moments. Coordinators can only control so much, putting a lot of heat on the pieces the Falcons have brought in and not on the coach.
With that said, Lake still failed to make obvious adjustments during Atlanta's slide. The defense wasn't the biggest problem but they weren't able to stop the bleeding and find ways to keep the team in games. In recent weeks that has changed if we ignore the Vikings game the Falcons are on a great run.
It helps playing the Giants and Raiders in back-to-back weeks, but the adjustments are still there and impressive. If the Falcons fail to make the playoffs the future of the head coach and GM are in question. The most likely way that plays out is with a front office change and a coordinator being the fall guy for this year's failure. Lake is the most likely coach to find himself searching for a new landing spot.