Nobody is going to defend Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris letting his timeouts burn a hole through his pocket in Sunday’s consequential loss to the Washington Commanders.
Right after rookie quarterback Michael Penix orchestrated an awe-inspiring comeback drive to tie the game up in the fourth quarter, the Falcons got a huge defensive stop and got the ball back with a chance to go for the win.
Penix picked up right where he left off, throwing a dart to wide receiver Darnell Mooney at right around midfield with 33 seconds to go on the contest.
You’d expect a timeout would follow, a moment for the rookie Penix to settle himself to get the yardage necessary to set up kicker Riley Patterson for a workable walk-off field goal.
However, Morris held onto the first of his two timeouts and let his players get set at the line. The seconds ticked by slowly and cruelly for the Falcons fans at home screaming at the television to stop the clock. The ball finally snapped with roughly 16-17 seconds left in the game.
A defensive pass interference call on Washington set Atlanta up a few moments later for a 56-yard attempt, but Patterson’s boot just didn’t have enough juice to get the ball through the uprights. The game went to overtime, where Washington won the coin toss and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels led an impressive drive of his own, this time for all the marbles.
Morris also let three timeouts expire into halftime with his team driving the ball, looking for a touchdown before the break. Atlanta settled for a Patterson field goal, in part because it didn’t quite have enough time to get the requisite attempts at the end zone. At least one timeout called would have helped.
After the game, Morris tried to explain the final moments in regulation as best he could. Even he couldn’t really justify it, not even Bill Belichick in his prime could.
“Probably could have,” Morris said about calling a timeout with seconds falling off the clock late in the game. “I thought we could get to the line of scrimmage with our operation maybe a little bit faster there.”
With the Falcons closing in on what’s already their most successful season since 2017, one marred by the rapid decline of a veteran quarterback in Kirk Cousins and the surprise ascent of another in Penix, Atlanta isn’t going to clean house just because of one bad sideline performance.
It would be beyond foolish to judge Morris on a couple of bad timeout decisions, considering Dan Quinn coached another three seasons and change in Atlanta after his team blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl.
The fact that Penix had the poise to lead a game-tying drive, one with two jaw-dropping fourth-down conversions under the big lights, is a credit to Morris and his coaching staff for having the quarterback ready to go.
There is no world where you want Penix making his second NFL start in prime time on the road in a definitive playoff atmosphere with playoff ramifications, none whatsoever.
However, the rookie weathered an early pick and some overthrows (where The Athletic Football Show noted he didn’t put quite enough touch on the passes) to lead the most inspiring Falcons drive in literal years.
Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot took lots (and lots) of grief for the Penix pick back in April, when it seemed unfathomable for Atlanta to draft a quarterback high after giving Cousins a king’s ransom in free agency.
However, Penix showing the poise and grit to shake off his mistakes and put such a statement drive on the field in crunch time matters. Cousins completely falling off the wagon after a 6-3 start was unpredictable, and it made his free agency signing look much worse in hindsight.
Penix’s draft pick makes so, so much more sense when you consider how well he’s played in his first two NFL starts, not perfect by any stretch but promising enough to envision a future of him playing at a high level for years to come, and by Cousins’ losing his edge to the point of being benched.
Just the Kyle Pitts fourth-down touchdown throw alone should have Falcons fans dreaming of what could be down the road for Penix.
However, the promise of the future doesn’t mend the problems of the now. The Falcons most likely cost themselves a chance at a playoff berth on Sunday, even if it probably wouldn’t have been a lengthy one.
The Falcons’ four-game losing streak is the real culprit behind what will likely amount to a transitional season without a postseason, one where Cousins withered on the vine when faced with a spat of good defenses.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 opened a door for Atlanta to control its fate, and taking a hot Washington team down to the wire and kicking yourself for what could’ve been isn’t as bad an outcome as might’ve befallen lesser Falcons teams of the years past.
Even so, Morris is going to feel those uncalled timeouts until he gets another chance in meaningful football to show his growth in game management. Thankfully for the Falcons, choosing to call a timeout when you should choose to call a timeout is an extremely easy fix for a coach to make.
The Falcons spoke glowingly of Morris’ culture in November, back when Atlanta was an overachieving team looking poised to break a six-season playoff drought. Even after a management debacle like the one Morris found himself in on Sunday night, the rookie Penix stood by his coach.
“He calls the timeout whenever he feels fit and he trusted us to get a play off and make the next play,” Penix said, via ESPN. “So, we all trust Coach’s judgment on that.”
The Commanders game is going to sting for Falcons fans all offseason long, as it was the franchise’s best chance for the playoffs in a long time.
However, Penix’s performance on Sunday Night Football alone should have the franchise excited in his future and trusting in the ones who made the unpopular decision to bring him to Atlanta in the first place.
Heck, the long-maligned Falcons’ pass rush has shown life since the team’s Week 12 bye, scoring a whopping 21 sacks in that span. The defensive front seven coming on in a big way is the underrated storyline for the Falcons season, one that shows Morris and his staff creating a real asset out of what had been a sore spot for Atlanta all season long.
It’s also one that shows Fontenot’s personnel acquisitions through free agency and the draft starting to blossom.
Free agent outside linebacker Kaden Elliss has played at a Pro Bowl level in the second half of the season and is an elite blitzer. Second-round outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie is in the midst of a breakout campaign for his third season (five sacks and consistent pressures since the bye).
August’s splashy trade addition, outside linebacker Matt Judon, has looked more like himself in recent weeks after a slow start in Atlanta. You’ve seen splashes from 2024 second-round defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro, too.
Heck, 2024 fifth-round linebacker JD Bertrand had the best sack of Sunday night for the Falcons on the elusive Daniels.
Also consider the team’s secondary: recently re-signed cornerback A.J. Terrell locked down Terry McLaurin on Sunday and is having an All-Pro season, safety Jessie Bates III continues to look like the best defensive free agency signing of the decade so far and cornerback Mike Hughes of all people is potentially playing his way into a second Falcons contract.
The Falcons’ defensive gains are real, even if it took the unit some time to really coalesce. You can’t say Atlanta fields an elite defense by any means, but you see the bones of something promising and a coaching staff and front office that can add good players and develop them over time.
Atlanta’s offense has lots of star power, from running back Bijan Robinson to wide receiver Drake London. This spring’s big non-Cousins free agency signing was Mooney, who has 992 yards and five touchdowns so far as the lethal second fiddle to London in the passing game. Also factor in a good offensive line and sound depth at running back and receiver.
Fontenot deserves credit for building what could be a future monster, even if ex-coach Arthur Smith and this new coaching staff share in the credit.
The Falcons probably won’t make the playoffs this season because of Cousins’ descent into offensive stagnation. Morris’ clock management woes will follow him through the winter months, but he’s already the most successful Atlanta head coach since Quinn.
Imagine if Cousins doesn’t hit his season-altering skid and this defense figures things out just a bit sooner than the bye week. Penix would still be on the shelf developing, and the Falcons would probably be heading to the playoffs for a still-quick exit against a superior team. That shows Morris and company have done enough to make that a plausible alternate reality.
Getting Penix going earlier than expected will probably be a blessing in disguise for Atlanta, and Cousins’ contract isn’t as much of an albatross to get out of as one might expect.
While lingering timeouts and missed opportunities will be the topic of conversation around Flowery Branch this week, looking at this Falcons team in totality shows a franchise starting to shake off six-straight losing seasons and find a new path forward. It hasn’t all worked according to plan, and the Cousins deal in hindsight really didn’t pan out as hoped.
However, Morris and Fontenot have put more than enough meaningful progress on the field to give fans confidence they can get this team back to the playoffs sooner than later. Penix might just be the franchise quarterback Atlanta has dreamed of since the heyday of Matt Ryan, making his draft selection in hindsight a savvy pick by a team refusing to settle for one door.
Sure, 2024 might be a wash for the Falcons (as it is for 30 other teams), but 2025 and beyond sure looks bright for this franchise. Just call those timeouts when you need them, Coach Morris. The lights are probably going to get brighter from here.
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