3. Jimmy Lake
The Falcons hiring of Jimmy Lake made sense if Raheem Morris was going to be more hands on with the Atlanta defense. Morris won the role based on his Super Bowl winning experience with the Rams and ability to get the most out of average defensive talent. This wasn't the approach that Morris would opt for taking a step back from the defense and looking to trust his coordinators.
This can be a great decision if you've picked the right leaders. We now only have four games remaining in the season and what this defense is remains a complete mystery. Yes, we know they aren't a great unit with obvious issues in the middle of the field and rushing the passer.
However, we've seen them play great games against the Steelers, Chargers, Chiefs, and Saints. In all four games finding ways to get pressure and playing a bend-but-don't-break style. Lake's adjustments are inconsistent and consistently put his players in roles they are ill-suited for. What these four games all had in common is the few times Lake has had a relatively healthy defense and made the obvious adjustments. The struggles aren't on Lake alone but the lack of ability to consistently adjust and make obvious decisions demands a change.