Even a trip to Berlin didn't stop the Atlanta Falcons from pulling a Falcons. Despite leading by three with over two minutes to play, they still found a way to squander the lead and fall 31-25 to the Indianapolis Colts in overtime—as Jonathan Taylor ran wild against this dismal run defense.
Beyond allowing Taylor to run wild for 244 yards and three scores, the Dirty Birds' fourth consecutive loss exposed a deeper problem. Raheem Morris' hot seat is only growing hotter, and if this trajectory continues, it would be unsurprising to see Arthur Blank clean house at the end of the season.
Morris' struggles with clock management have continued, while Michael Penix Jr. took a dramatic step backwards after shining against the Patriots last weekend. It's becoming evident that as talented as this Falcons' roster is, this coaching staff is holding the squad back from reaching its full potential.
It's becoming clear that Raheem Morris is the root of all the Falcons' problems
The Falcons now fall to 3-6 on the year and have not won a game since mid-October. Despite the run game finally bouncing back, it was both the defense's inability to slow down JT and another Sunday full of ineptitude from both Morris and OC Zac Robinson that were the catalysts behind the outcome.
Every game, every week it's the same sort of BS coach speak in pressers that fans are growing tired of. This team's complacency was felt during and after the NFL trade deadline, while this loss still makes it feel like there is absolutely zero urgency in Atlanta's locker room right now.
The offensive inconsistency has continued, as the play-calling has done nothing to tap into Penix's potential despite having the personnel to be among the league's most dangerous units. Instead, the Falcons are near the bottom of the NFL in scoring and aren't even averaging 20 points per game on the year.
This time around, it was Jeff Ulbrich's defense who struggled, but his OC isn't helping the growing frustration within the fanbase. He refuses to take accountability himself, but he also refuses to direct blame toward those who are in need of it. The cycle is beyond frustrating to witness.
The 49-year-old nearly led the Falcons to the playoffs in his first season at the helm last season, so expectations were high after the team turned to Penix in place of Kirk Cousins. However, things have been up-and-down in the 25-year-old's first full season as the starter despite a big day for Atlanta on the ground.
And here's a reminder, this team (who is practically guaranteed to miss the playoffs this season) doesn't even own their 2026 first-round pick. This team is full of holes all over the roster, and they don't even have the most necessary draft pick in order to rectify those problems.
The issues run deep within this franchise, and it's clear that there will be no hope until there is another change in leadership—so Blank should fully clean house this time around.