Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris sparked a small controversy while addressing the media earlier this week. Some head coaches utilize crippling losses to motivate their team, but Morris clearly doesn't. In college football, Kirby Smart is the best example: the mindset works. Unfortunately, Morris' philosophy is different, and he clearly defined it publicly.
While answering a question about Drake London, Morris recognized the historically ugly Week 3 bout against the Panthers and seized his opportunity. "I think you can just take the Carolina game and throw it out the window, and eliminate it from life. ... The Panthers just got us out of whack," Morris said.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris: "I think you can just take the Carolina game and throw it out the window. ... The Panthers just got us out of whack."
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) October 7, 2025
Raheem Morris downplays the lost momentum from Falcons' Week 3 loss
Instead of utilizing the catastrophic loss to motivate, drive, and push his guys, he wants to forget it. That's not winning football. How can he expect this team to fight adversity, battle back in big moments, or learn from mistakes, when their leader wants to forget it? Of course, you shouldn't dwell on blowout losses, but at least use them as motivation.
Through the first four games of the season, little is known about the long-term scoring ability of the offense. In Carolina, the offense struggled mightily and was shut out. Turnovers galore, missed kicks left and right, and Michael Penix Jr. was in the middle of it all. Thankfully, the 2024 first-rounder was much more efficient in Week 4, potentially proving Morris right after all.
Regardless, the Penix era is well underway in Atlanta, and he certainly isn't shining. The 2025 Falcons have scored 76 points through Week 4, compared to 75 through the month of 2024 with Kirk Cousins at the helm. Toward the end of the year, Morris decided to bench Cousins for Penix, and not much has changed.
While the second-year quarterback has shined in moments, his inexperience and wild tendencies have shone brighter. Penix has the fifth-lowest completion percentage above expectation this season, putrid. It's clear the former Heisman Trophy runner-up is struggling, but so is Morris. A full year after beginning his inaugural season as head coach, the Falcons' offense is still stuck in neutral.
While the Falcons' inconsistencies have proven frustrating, Morris's happy-go-lucky attitude toward a shutout doesn't sit well with fans either. If Penix, Morris, and company want to prove this season won't be another bust, a week 6 bout with the Bills on Monday Night Football could be just what the doctor ordered.