Sunday was identical to each different season-ending week for Atlanta Falcons followers.
Win a meaningless sport? Specific your displeasure about not making the playoffs once more? Examine. The compulsory “Thanks Falcons followers” social media put up? You guess.
After these three vital gadgets, I retired from watching soccer for the night and was preparing for the week forward.
Arthur Clean, nevertheless, had different plans for all the Falcons followers.
It looks like my letter to Mr. Clean didn’t get left on delivered, as a result of as of Sunday night, Raheem Morris is now not the pinnacle coach of the Atlanta Falcons. As an added bonus, the Falcons fired Common Supervisor Terry Fontenot minutes later, signaling a clear home.
There’s rather a lot to unpack right here, as that is all contemporary within the minds of Falcons followers. However my first thought was, “Dang, we didn’t even wait till Monday?
This alone tells me that Clean didn’t make this determination at this time. This was made weeks in the past.
Clean isn’t recognized for making midseason modifications – therefore why Morris and Fontenot remained in energy – however after hiring the consulting agency Sportology, it appeared like some modifications had been on the horizon.
Quite a lot of us had been led to imagine that Morris wouldn’t be among the many modifications. A number of stories advised that Morris had performed sufficient to earn a 3rd season on the helm and that Fontenot could be the odd man out. The truth that the normally affected person Clean made this determination earlier than “black Monday” tells you all the pieces you should know.
Now let’s get to Morris. His two years can solely be summarized into one phrase: Disappointment.
When Morris returned to Atlanta, many followers, together with myself, had been excited to see what he might do. He was a beloved determine throughout his first tenure in Atlanta, and it appeared like he’d have a strong reference to the gamers.
As a substitute, it was clear that Morris was method over his head.
Regardless of having earlier head teaching expertise, his lack of sport preparation, clock administration expertise and personnel choice had been the downfall for what was in any other case a reasonably gifted group.
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and particular groups Coordinator Marquice Williams ought to’ve been gone halfway by this season. Ike Hilliard, the huge receivers coach, most likely shouldn’t have ever been fired. And Jeff Ulbrich, who wound up having the very best season as Falcons defensive coordinator, was a questionable pickup from the get-go.
If there’s one factor that this season has proved, it’s that teaching issues. Take a look at New England. Take a look at Jacksonville. Take a look at Chicago. Take a look at Seattle. The listing goes on and on.
It will’ve been extremely irresponsible of Clean to retain Morris after how irritating 2025 was. The superb half in all of that is that yet another victory would’ve allowed the Falcons to interrupt by to the postseason for the primary time since 2017.
As a substitute, we remained on the identical mediocre stage we’ve discovered ourselves in for years.
The query that Clean needed to ask himself on the finish of the day was this: Maintain Morris and stay in mediocrity? Or begin contemporary and encourage hope throughout the fanbase. I used to be anxious that it’d be the previous. Fortunately, it’s the latter.
Firing Morris after beating the Saints would’ve been most Falcons followers’ dream. However Clean added the cherry on high by dismissing Fontenot.
I’ve lengthy been a critic of Fontenot after he orchestrated one of many worst offers in Falcons historical past in signing Kirk Cousins. Then, he instantly drafted Michael Penix Jr., who is not trying just like the franchise quarterback both. Together with letting different guys like Nate Landman and Foye Oluokun stroll, I assumed he ought to’ve been let go in 2024.
As a substitute, Clean gave him yet another yr. And he delivered.
Drafting Jalon Walker, then buying and selling for James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts wound up being his finest draft class as a basic supervisor. Once you add in notable offseason additions like Divine Deablo, Fontenot definitely might’ve earned one other yr in my guide.
However in the event you recall what I stated again in April 2025, it was clear that Fontenot was going all on this season. He pushed his chips to the center of the desk and hoped for the very best.
There are solely two issues that occur once you go all in. You win huge and preserve enjoying, otherwise you lose all the pieces. Ultimately, Fontenot wound up shedding all of it – albeit in a much more valiant effort than Morris.
Now, we could have a slew of questions that want answering within the coming days and weeks forward. Who’s the brand new head coach going to be? Who’s the brand new basic supervisor going to be? Will Wealthy McKay keep concerned with the group? Will Matt Ryan be introduced in a entrance workplace position?
All of those questions and extra will likely be answered; some seemingly earlier than this column will get printed. For now, although, all I can say is thanks. Thanks, Arthur Clean, for doing the suitable factor for this franchise and for the followers.
It needed to be performed.
Evan Newton is the managing editor of The Covington Information. He could be reached at enewton@covnews.com.
