The Atlanta Falcons are earning respect for their offensive firepower. Elite playmakers, a dominant run game, and arguably one of the league’s best offensive lines. But one key figure isn’t getting the same benefit of the doubt. Raheem Morris enters his second season as HC with more questions than answers. Pro Football Network’s recent rankings placed him 22nd among returning NFL coaches, ahead of only a handful of first-year hires and struggling retreads. His debut campaign featured baffling late-game decisions, including a Week 17 meltdown against Washington that cost Atlanta a playoff shot. Even his handling of Kirk Cousins‘ injury drew scrutiny. Now, whispers of accountability are growing louder.

Some fans point to former assistants as the reason for last year’s defensive woes. But one analyst is cutting through the noise with a blunt warning. And it sets the stage for a make-or-break year in Atlanta. Enter Marcus Whitman, who isn’t buying the excuses floating around Falcons circles this offseason. The outspoken analyst cut through the noise with a blunt assessment of HC Raheem Morris’s first year in Atlanta. “Lot of Raheem Morris defenders in the Falcons Deep Dive comments,” Whitman noted, calling out the growing narrative among fans.

“Pretty expected tbh to see that the narrative seems to be that Jimmy Lake ‘ran the defense’ and just stunk as a D.C. and that things will be better now.” But Whitman delivered his verdict without hesitation, “Look… Whether Morris handed the defense off or not, you still hired him to provide good defensive coaching for the Falcons. And he failed to do that in Season 1.”

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The comments land as Morris enters a critical second season. Despite showing flashes with an 8-9 record – Atlanta’s best finish since 2017 – the Falcons collapsed down the stretch, with questionable game management and defensive breakdowns defining their season. Pro Football Sports Network’s recent HC rankings reflected this frustration, slotting Morris at just 22nd among returning coaches. Analyst Brandon Austin noted, “While one season may not be enough to judge Morris, his first didn’t do anything to erase doubts. Especially after some game-management blunders last season.“

Whitman’s message cuts deeper – and it comes with a critical stipulation about who won’t shoulder the blame if things go south again. With new DC Jeff Ulbrich taking over, the spotlight burns hotter than ever on Morris to deliver.

No more excuses left for Raheem Morris

The reunion between Raheem Morris and Jeff Ulbrich should feel like a comfortable fit. Their careers have intertwined through multiple chapters in Atlanta, from Morris overseeing Ulbrich during his 2020 interim head coaching stint to now entrusting him with the defense that doomed last season. But this homecoming carries an unspoken tension, underscored by Marcus Whitman’s uncompromising stance: “I understand looking for a finger to blame but the pressure 100% falls on Morris to get it right this year and I don’t want to hear a word about it being Jeff Ulbrich’s fault if he doesn’t.”

Jeff’s return to Atlanta on January 18 felt less like a victory lap and more like a calculated risk. The former Falcons linebackers coach limps back home after a rough interim gig with the Jets – three wins, nine losses, and a 0-3 start that did little to inspire confidence. Ulbrich knows these (Falcons) halls well, having weathered the franchise’s storms since 2015 and helping shape that 2016 Super Bowl defense.

But that familiarity cuts both ways. Now the same defensive issues that dogged him in New York land squarely in Morris’ lap, and everyone’s watching to see if this reunion can work. Whitman’s warning strips away any safety net. When Morris first worked with Ulbrich during the chaotic 2020 season, they were temporary caretakers. Now, with Morris entering Year 2 of his regime, the calculus has changed. The front office delivered defensive upgrades at every level this offseason. The excuses – Jimmy Lake’s struggles, inherited personnel, rookie mistakes – have expired.

This is why Whitman’s declaration matters more than typical offseason chatter. Removing Ulbrich as a potential scapegoat before a single snap, it will crystallize Morris’s make-or-break reality. As training camp looms, the Falcons’ brass watches closely. They’ve seen this story before – the 2016 glory and the painful falls since. What they haven’t seen is accountability with teeth. Whitman just gave it to them.