More disappointment in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Falcons 2024 season, once full of hope and promise, ended as yet another bitter disappointment for the Dirty Birds.
The Rebuild
The offseason sparked a rebuild period for the Falcons, which saw Raheem Morris hired as the new head coach.
The Falcons also moved to sign free agent Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal as starting quarterback.
However, fans’ faith in the front office wavered when they used the eighth overall pick on another quarterback, Michael Penix Jr.
The season begins
The Falcons kicked off the new campaign by welcoming the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons went into the half up 10-9 following Younghoe Koo’s field goal and a Kyle Pitts touchdown.
But the lead was not to last, with three second-half Chris Boswell field goals securing an 18-10 win for Pittsburgh.
A trip to the Philadelphia Eagles followed, which saw the Falcons leave Philly with an impressive one-point victory.
Cousins shows his worth
After a narrow loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta won three games in a row against divisional rivals.
Impressive victories against the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers saw the Falcons climb to the top of the NFC South after Week 7.
Cousins was impressive, particularly against the Bucs, when he threw a franchise record 509 yards and four touchdowns.
The collapse
While Falcons fans and the media began to crown them division favourites, they stumbled with four consecutive losses, destroying their momentum.
Cousins, whose Atlanta career had started so well, went into free fall. Over the four-game spell, he went 17 quarters without a touchdown.
Consequently, Raheem Morris made the call to bring in rookie quarterback Penix Jr. for the final three games.
A sour end
The Falcons went into their penultimate game against the Washington Commanders with the fate of the division in their hands.
Bijan Robinson, one of the standout performers of the season, scored two touchdowns to take the game to overtime.
However, a Zach Ertz touchdown for Washington confirmed that the Falcons would go into Week 18 needing a miracle.
The miracle never came, as Panthers quarterback Bryce Young toyed with the Falcons defense to cement Atlanta’s seventh losing season in a row.
In summary
While questions need to be asked of those in charge, it is not all doom and gloom.
Penix Jr. looks to have the potential of a franchise quarterback, while Robinson and Drake London confirm a bright offensive future.
However, it is another losing season. Cousins was an expensive mistake, and the neglected defense needs drastic work.
Overall, the framework is there for success in 2025, but the Falcons front office has to become more clinical when making season-altering decisions.
