Eight straight losing seasons for Falcons and no end in sight

Eight straight losing seasons for Falcons and no end in sight

Welcome back everybody to Joe Patrick on football after we saw the Falcons play a rolling game here at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, losing to the Seattle Seahawks by a final score of 37 to9. That’s correct. The Falcons lose once again. Actually the third time this season they’ve lost by 24 or more points. It was an utter capitulation. Let’s let’s face it. In the second half of this game, Seattle outscores the Falcons 31-3. Um, and even that feels a little bit generous considering how one-sided it felt. I mean, we’ll go into some of the numbers. It was obviously a terrible day overall. But, you know, coming out of this game, it’s not really about the game. It’s about what is the path forward for this team, for this organization. Where do they go from here in the in the wake of just yet another absolutely miserable miserable loss? Only two home wins so far this season here at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. I think you have to say that all they’ve done since Arthur Smith was fired after a seven and 10 season is backslide. And that includes, you know, they did, you know, get better by one game last year, but that even feels like a regression considering all that was invested into last year’s team, the potential that that Falcons organization thought that they had, I’m sure that the players on the roster thought they had last year was definitely to be better than 89, especially after they started six and three. And now the Falcons find themselves four and nine. So if I can do math correctly, I’m trying to think about what their record would have been since they were six and three, that would be uh six win uh what’s that? Six wins and 15 losses. So six and 15 if my math is correct since they were six and three. That is that is rough. that is nothing that Raheem Morris can expect to keep his job over. Now, we’ll see if that’s ultimately going to be the case. And again, we’re going to talk about that here in a little bit to kind of recap some of the reporting that we’ve seen here as of late and maybe what today means in regards to that reporting. But once again, the Falcons with the loss today confirmed that they will have their eighth consecutive losing season. that is just absolutely miserable and it’s what sets this kind of culture that we saw in Mercedes-Benz Stadium today. A stadium where actually it was more full than I thought it was going to be for the game itself when the game kicked off. Building was relatively full um and fans were understandably leaving early in the fourth quarter when the team was down by multiple scores at that point. can’t remember what triggering event it was that sparked the exodus out of the stadium, but most of the fourth quarter was played in the vibe of a preeason game. It was there was literally no juice in the stadium and rightfully so. I mean, the team was obviously out of it. I think the team knew that they were out of it at that point and uh yeah, fans decided to to beat traffic and you that’s the kind of culture you obviously don’t want to have and but it’s the one that you get when you’ve had eight consecutive losing seasons obviously now mathematically eliminated uh from playoff contention which I’m at least thankful for because we don’t have to caveat it every time now throughout the last several weeks is saying well they’re still mathematically alive to make the playoffs even though we’ve kind of known that they’re were they were not heading uh in that direction. And in maybe the most frustrating aspect of this game, what led to this capitulation in the second half was driven by more special teams failings. And it was evident right from the kickoff in the second half. The team gives up a 100yard kick return to Rasheed Shahed. This comes after last week they gave up a big return to the Jets that took the ball inside the 10 yardd line. Falcons do hold them to a field goal on that drive last week. Not so fortunate this time. Rashid Shahid takes it all the way a house for a touchdown. That opens up a gap for the Seahawks and they never look back from there. But that’s not where the special teams blunder started. They started in the first half when the the Seattle Seahawks blocked a Zane Gonzalez kick relatively easily, I might ask. It wasn’t even kind of fluky in any sort of way. In fact, the first field goal that Zay Gonzalez makes in this game probably should have been blocked. There was a guy right there and he kind of just misses the the football. doesn’t get his hand in the right spot, but he was there to block the kick. So, just more special teams calamities. This comes again after all what happened last week, and it wasn’t it’s not even just last week. It’s been for the vast majority of this season, this team has just not put it together on special teams. I asked Raheem Morris in his press conference on Monday what was the difference um between the way that Iard was treated. He was fired after week three uh where the team lost 30 to nothing to the Carolina Panthers. again one of those uncompetitive performances and he said that Iillyard at that point was fired for performance. When I asked him on Monday, he clarified that the issue that was leading to the poor performance had to do with communication that Iard had or did not have in the wide receiver room and that that does not exist that communications issue does not exist with Maris Williams, the special teams coordinator for this team. But whether the communication is good or not, what we do know is that the performance is just not there on a regular basis. It feels like a minor miracle if this team is able to get through a game without one of these kinds of major special teams issues. And last week it cost them 10 points. Thankfully, it only cost them 10 points last week where it could have been more if they had not held the New York Jets to that field goal on the affformentioned kick return like I said. Uh and once again today cost them 10 points where they have the block kick and then obviously allowing the return touchdown for another seven points. So just more kind of compounding errors and errors that we’ve seen over and over again. And I totally sympathize with all you guys who are watching this that are just so frustrated by it. Like I I get texts from like my Falcons uh friends who are fans, you know, in like a text group that are ranting about this. Frankly, not even like mad about it anymore. More just kind of making fun of what is happening on this field behind me. And that is what is so disappointing. And again, that’s kind of that’s where this culture is right now of this Falcons organization. And so there’s going to be a lot of work that goes into turning that culture around. I said this in a podcast that we did after the Falcons lost that heartbreaker to the Carolina Panthers and Michael Pennix was left um obviously with his serious injury in the wake of that loss and you know we talked on that show about the fact that it’s not turning around the culture here is not going to be as simple as hiring the right coach although you know a new coach is obviously going to be a part of that. It’s not just drafting some good players in this coming draft or signing some free agents that you like in this free agency class. Obviously, all those are a part of turning the culture, but there’s so much more that has to happen starts from the very top, the leadership of the organization and goes down to the bottom. And what we talked about in that show was using the Lions as an example, them their hiring of Chris Spielman who was hired into a position where he was able to touch every aspect of the Lions organization from the cheerleaders to the the season ticket salespeople where he where he is roleplaying the skeptical Lions fan, you know, who’s decided to buy season tickets or not. Um he’s giving football seminars about the tactics of football to to the business side of the organization. He’s getting everybody on the same page and making sure that they are a football first organization that is devoting all their energy into winning football games on on these fields behind as you can see behind me. And uh I don’t you know I’m not here to say that’s not happening in the Falcons, but I don’t know. It just seems clear that this is just not a high performing um team right now, which you know leads to lots of those kinds of questions. And we’ll see if the Falcons can kind of make any headway this offseason and turning that around. But it just feels unfortunately like these remaining four games that the team has are just going to be kind of more the same. I don’t know if they’re going to be as bad a losses as we saw today in terms of the point differential, but you know, clearly just talking to some of the players in the locker room, Jesse Bates is is as dejected as I’ I’ve ever seen him um as a Falcon. Clearly just upset with the way that things are going. Uh was not able to hear from some of the other players. cuz I had to kind of run back and um to go to Kirk Cousins press conference, but is obviously a a down group right now. They’re a wounded bird, so to speak. And uh it’s going to take a lot to to kind of build that back up. And in that light, let’s talk a little bit about um you know, some of the changes that could be on the horizon. Will they be immediate? Will they be tomorrow? Will they have happened by the time you’re watching this podcast? I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t I’m not ruling anything out at this point. But Jeremy Fowler had a report uh that I think a lot of people were were um kind of assuming some things from. Uh he had a little, you know, tidbit basically in one of his longer um yeah report reports on ESPN.com where he said that uh an inseason firing would be quote mild would be a mild surprise to him. And he said that um you know decisions as relates to Raheem Morris’s future are uh quote far from finalized. And I think that a lot of fans when they read that, especially fans who want to see Raheem Morris gone, read that as, “Oh my gosh, this team is um on the verge of keeping Raheem Morris for next year.” And at that point in time, I would say that that option was on the table, although I wouldn’t have said it was likely. And after this loss, it feels borderline irresponsible for that. Well, not even borderline, honestly. It just feels like an irresponsible move if if that were to be the move. Um, and I, you know, it’s not for me to like kind of step on anybody’s grave here, but it’s just the reality of the business where if you do not win football games, you know, we’ll, they’ll find somebody who will. And, and that’s how organizations around the NFL work, or at least that’s how at least I think Falcons fans hope it works and and and the and the Falcons don’t just kind of put up with the mediocrity to worse that we see on the football field like we saw today. So, um I don’t think that Jeremy Fowler was saying anything incorrect in his report. Uh frankly, I think that he left it as it is. I just think that people were kind of uh taking taking what he said and kind of putting their own maybe worst uh fears upon it. But, you know, I think we are reaching toward a conclusion that results in Raheem Morris uh being let go most likely. But, I don’t I don’t even think that that happens in season. if you were if you were to just ask me like, you know, if you’re a betting man, like is what what’s what’s your what do you think happens um from him staying on next season to him being fired after the season to him being fired in season? I would say um my my my bet on that would be for him that that he’s fired immediately after the season ends. Uh it just feels like it’s an organization that just wants to kind of keep this staff together. Again, like we said, like this next month is going to be a slog and as painful as it is, uh it’s never easy uh for an organization when they’re going through these kinds of tough times, but just feels like it makes most sense to kind of keep it together. Now, I wouldn’t say that it’s for certain. It was just it would just be my best guess at what is going to happen. Um, but again, you know, it feels like uh I hate to say this word, but it feels like like the culture is turning toxic. Like, you know, again, I kind of I use my own experience, my own personal experience as a Falcons fan and like the the friends that I have and family who I hear from um about this team as they’re watching games as kind of a barometer for what is going on, you know, in the minds of Falcons fans. And it’s so bad like it is making fun of their own team, their own play, the players that play for their team, the coaches that coach their team, um the decisions that are made from whoever is making decisions with regards to various aspects of the organization. Um, nobody just has belief honestly like in in the organization. And I that I think is like the worst thing uh that you can have as as a football team, as an NFL team that wants to kind of galvanize support and get everybody behind you on the same page. And the reason why I say like can determine this is because I’ve seen this organization have that support from these fans. Like I have friends who are not season ticket holders now, but they were when they were in the Georgia Dome. Um, we’ve seen this team like when they’re in Super Bowl years have all the support of the fans and the city. This city really gets buzzing for when the Falcons are good. I know it’s actually hard to remember that because as we’ve said, it’s been eight years now of losing seasons. Um, but it can it it actually can be good, but it’s a sign of the culture right now that it’s almost hard to even recognize what that culture feels like. And again, it’s driven by the uncompetitive games. Again, this is their third game this season losing by 24 or more points. That is unacceptable um for any team in the NFL, you would say, especi may maybe okay if if you’re like in a complete rebuild or a complete tank or something like that, but this is the Falcons like going for it. This is the Falcons who have invested money in the quarterback position, invested top draft capital in the quarterback position, in the edge rushers to try to make them as competitive as possible this year. And again, they’ve slid back from where they were last year. And it stands to reason that a different, you know, a different set of coaches, a different, you know, offensive philosophy, uh, I think the defensive philosophy has been fine. Um, but you can, it stands to reason that, you know, just different leadership for this roster would be producing much much better results this year and probably have it, uh, you know, I think a good coach would have obviously this Falcons team probably at the top of the division or at least competing at the top of the division. When you open up the standings on your phone or take a look at them, it’s well within reach. This is not a good division at all. In fact, it’s probably the worst division in the NFL. every single team in the division has a negative uh point differential so far this season. And then you look at some of the Falcons results and at one point this season you probably felt like man you look at you look at the the Falcons results and you think about that Dolphins game where you lose 30 to nothing but you know you shouldn’t be be kind of looking past that you should be winning that game. Panthers game week three was also winnable when you also lost 30 to nothing. I’m sorry the Dolphins game was 34 to10. I forgot that the Falcons scored some garbage points there at the end of the game. Uh, but you look at all these winnable games that the team has had on top of the ones against good teams, by the way, where the Falcons have played very close and just come up short at the end of games. But you look at that and you say, would a better coach have gotten some results here and there across these games, maybe not overlooked, you know, Panthers in week three, not sleptwalked here at home against the Dolphins earlier this season, and you pick up some of those wins and suddenly you find yourself in contention at worst and leading the division at best. like there were better things possible on the on the table for this team this season and they just did not come together. And I think that that is part of the frustration that I saw in Jesse Bates’s face and all these players who um know that they are better collectively than what they’ve shown this season. And it’s just unfortunate that they have not been able to do that. Again, two wins at home in this building so far this season um is just not good. It’s just not good. And it’s it’s really sad. It’s it’s it’s sad to watch. I I say this as a Falcons fan, someone who’s watched this team my whole life. It’s just like this is this is as low as I’ve seen the team as as bad, frankly, as I’ve seen them play football. Um since I’ve been covering them in 2022. And again, just to kind of go back to some of the stats, it’s it’s brutal. like, you know, five catches for 31 yards from your entire wide receiver room, you just don’t come you you don’t win football games like that. So, uh there were a couple injuries in this game as well. Jaylen Walker left the game. Can’t remember if he returned. I don’t think that he did. Uh that was with a quad. He was listen questionable at the time. I don’t think he was ever ruled out, but I don’t believe he came back in the game. Kaden Ellis stayed down on the field at one point. Looked pretty serious. All his teammates were taking a knee. I think part of that is whenever it’s a a real team leader like Kaden Ellis that goes down, you know, people kind his teammates take a knee. He did get up and joged off, had an arm, and then he came right back on the field for the next series, never missed a play. So hopefully he’s good, but you never know with these kinds of things. Again, players can gut things out during a game, but then for the next week, especially with what the Falcons have a short week coming up, they play on Thursday night against the Buccaneers. Will be very interesting to see if Kaden Ellis is able to go. The Falcons certainly need him at that linebacker position. We’ve seen the struggles they’ve had when they’ve been missing linebackers. James Beer Jr. also stayed down on the field. Looked like he just needed to get his ankle taped up and uh he came back in the game, was good to go. Played quite a bit of snaps after he got his ankle treated. And he also was dealing with a bit of a back issue heading into this game. So again, it’ll be worth monitoring his status ahead of Thursday. But again, let’s look at the Falcon schedule going forward. There’s four games left. team now hits the road for two more games before they finish the season with back-to-back home games. One of which is currently slated to be on ESPN’s Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams. The team with which the Falcons you did their their their trade for James Pierce Jr. trading away this coming first round pick for the Falcons, which is looking higher and higher. You know, it’s looking like a higher and higher pick every single week as we go here. And the Falcons continue to lose. So, if the Falcons are on that ESPN uh that that Monday Night Football game, uh could be some pretty pretty brutal commentary, you would think, from uh you know, the media and the broadcasters who will have that game. But, you know, that game could still be flexed out. So, we will see. But first, they go to Buccaneers this Thursday. Then they travel to the West Coast to play the Arizona Cardinals. Probably their most, you know, they got two like winnable games, you would say, the rest of the year. That game out west against Cardinals on the road. Then the last game of the season uh after that Monday night football game at home against the New Orleans Saints, but is any game winnable for the Falcons at this point? They’re certainly not going to beat anybody playing the way they did today. So, we will see. But, uh this team is currently in a tail spin and they need to do fight like heck to get out of it. So, thank you guys so much for listening to another episode of Joe Patrick on football. Um if you’re just listening to this and you’re not watching, you can check us out on 929 the games YouTube channel. Uh, so just go search 929 the game and you’ll see these videos pop up. Uh, if you are watching this on YouTube, want to see more of them, just click like. I’m sure you’ll start to get them um fed to you in the algorithm. And if you are watching us and you want to get the podcast version of the show, which will continue during the offseason, uh, go ahead and just search Joe Patrick on football, wherever you get your podcasts, and uh, we’ll pop up. You can subscribe there and we’ll talk to you guys next

The Falcons got blasted 37–9 and it felt even worse. Joe Patrick digs into the second-half collapse, the special teams meltdown, and why this culture has spiraled. Where does this franchise go from here?

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