Will the past play a role in the Falcons looming decision surrounding Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot?

The Falcons are just days away from wrapping up their eighth straight losing season, and this one feels even more frustrating than the rest.

The NFC South has been a complete mess, with a very real chance that no team finishes above .500. A win on Sunday would push Atlanta to 8-9 for the second consecutive year, which could leave them in a three-way tie with the Bucs and Panthers atop the division. Unfortunately, the Falcons were mathematically eliminated from the postseason nearly a month ago because of the tiebreakers, thanks to an eight-week stretch in which they won just one game.

A collapse like that in the middle of the season — after so much promise to begin the year and now a three-game winning streak to close it — is almost unfathomable. This team handled elite opponents like the Bills and Rams on national television, yet managed to lose twice to the Panthers, the Dolphins, and even dropped a game to the Jets.

Nothing can be taken for granted in the NFL, but given how many tight games were lost because of horrific special teams play, this kind of disappointment feels completely avoidable. The conversation entering Week 18 should be about the postseason. Instead, the focus is once again on a potential regime change once the clock hits 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The improved play to end the season is a nod to Raheem Morris in that the locker room clearly didn’t quit on him. There are also encouraging signs from the most recent draft class Terry Fontenot brought in. But is that enough to overlook the fact this team was essentially eliminated from playoff contention by the time families gathered for Thanksgiving?

Arthur Blank has never been an owner with a quick trigger, but several reports suggest at least some changes are coming. He has hired the consulting firm Sportsology to perform a “health check” on the organization and even reached out to Matt Ryan about a potentially significant front-office role.

What that means for Fontenot and Morris could depend on what happens in Week 18 against the Saints. There is recent precedent that a four-game winning streak can save jobs. In 2019, the Falcons started 3-9 but won four straight to finish the year, convincing Blank to retain both Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff.

However, that decision backfired spectacularly. Atlanta opened the following season 0-5, leading to the firing of both men, which ironically resulted in Raheem Morris being promoted to interim head coach.

This is the vicious cycle the Falcons live in. They start seasons with promise, crater in the middle, fall out of contention, then finish strong enough to convince themselves the playoff drought is just about to end.

The reality is they are no closer to the postseason than they were when Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris took over. Both have fallen well short of expectations, and if given another chance, there is nothing to suggest anything will be different in 2026.

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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

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