Morris: Blank still '100% in support' despite Falcons' 4-9 record
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris says owner Arthur Blank still has his back despite the team being eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-9 record.
"He is 100% in support," Morris said Monday, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "Support ain't an issue. He is absolutely outstanding. His ability to listen to us, his ability to be there for us, his ability to be in it with us, is absolutely 100% awesome. And it's everybody. It's an all hands-on-deck mentality with the organization, and I can't say nothing about better."
Morris added that he and Blank meet before and after every game to go over the game plan and discuss what went right and what went wrong.
"I think it's something that I love to be able to do with him, just to show him what the plan is, so he's not sitting in the box wondering what's going on," Morris said.
He added, "I'm not there selling Arthur on whatever his decisions are. I got to make my own decisions and go find out what we need to do to win football games. I think that's the most important."
This marks the eighth straight season the Falcons won't play in the postseason following Sunday's 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Atlanta started the season 3-2 but dropped seven of its last eight games. Dating back to last year, the Falcons are 6-15 since starting the 2024 campaign 6-3.
Atlanta has dealt with significant injuries this season. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is out after suffering a torn ACL in mid-November. Coordinator Zac Robinson's offense ranks 26th in EPA/play, according to Ben Baldwin's database.
Morris was hired last January after a three-year run as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator. This was his second chance at a head coaching position after holding the role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011. The 49-year-old has struggled to replicate the success he had in Los Angeles, as the Falcons' defense sits 25th in success rate since the start of the 2024 season.
Atlanta faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.