It hasn't always been sunshine and rainbows for Raheem Morris' time with the Atlanta Falcons, but Week 15 was one of the highest points he's had as head coach. Through a season on the hot seat that has been full of turmoil, nobody needed to see the Falcons knock off the Bucs more than Morris.
Even though playoffs aren't in the picture, it still feels good to play spoiler. The 29-28 victory on Thursday Night Football saw the Dirty Birds come back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter before winning on a walk-off field goal that gave fans a glimpse of what this team still could be.
Morris: It's a stepping stone to where we want to go. ... What we're talking about is next year. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 12, 2025
There are still plenty of question marks about whether the 49-year-old will still be coaching in Atlanta next season, but a win like this certainly helps his case. It wasn't always pretty, but like Morris always says, "you gotta find a way", and for what feels like the first time all year, the Falcons did exactly that.
Raheem Morris wants Falcons fans to know the fight isn't over with the playoff hunt
It's a bit discouraging to realize that this fight was nowhere to be throughout the last 14 weeks of the season and didn't show up until after they were eliminated. But they were still motivated to shake up a tight NFC South race, and Morris is now 3-1 against the team he used to coach.
Fans turned on Morris and the coaching staff earlier this season, and it seemed like the players did too, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Outside of the receiver room, the Falcons' locker room still seems to really respond to him and respect his leadership, which has to count for something.
The Falcons are sitting at just 5-9 this season and could very easily finish 2-1 the rest of the way against the Saints, Rams, and Cardinals. And since draft position is obsolete, seeing this team truly lay it all on the line on primetime was an incredibly promising sight for fans who are still in doubt.
Moreover, Zac Robinson called his best game of the year, as Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts went bonkers. Through all of the bad decisions Morris has made this season, Thursday night went a long way in asking for forgiveness with a fanbase that was among the most disgruntled in the NFL.
Morris is on the hot seat, and it's not hard to see why, but he still has three more games to prove to the fans and to Arthur Blank that he deserves another season, but it' s clear he finally knows what's on the line.