Head coaches often bring familiar staff with them when taking over a team, and Raheem Morris was no exception. Upon his arrival in Atlanta, he brought two of his former LA Rams colleagues, Zac Robinson and Jimmy Lake, as his offensive and defensive coordinators for the 2024 season. Neither had ever called an NFL game before.
While Robinson proved to be a rising offensive mind, Lake’s one-year stint in Atlanta was a complete failure. His defense was heavily criticized throughout the season for its lack of pass rush and a porous zone coverage scheme that allowed opposing quarterbacks to shred the secondary.
The Falcons have long struggled to generate sacks, but under Ryan Nielsen in 2023, they recorded 42—doubling their 2022 total (21). Rather than retaining Nielsen, the Falcons let him go during the coaching transition, and he ultimately landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Under Lake in 2024, the Falcons’ pass rush collapsed, ranking 31st in sacks (31) and 29th in quarterback pressures (184). The secondary fared no better, surrendering an NFL-worst 69.9% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks and allowing 34 passing touchdowns—the second most in the league.
Lake was fired at the end of the season, and on January 29, 2025, the Falcons hired Jeff Ulbrich as their new defensive coordinator—their fourth in as many years.
Ulbrich is no stranger to Atlanta, reuniting with Morris after the two coached together for the Falcons from 2015 to 2020. Following the 2020 season, Ulbrich became the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets, while Morris took the same role with the LA Rams. Despite other strong candidates for the defensive coordinator position, the Falcons opted to reunite yet another pair of friends.
If the Falcons fail to post a winning record and the defense doesn’t take a significant step forward, the pair of friends could find themselves back on the job market in a year’s time.