It doesn’t appear that the Falcons will be drastically altering their structure. Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot’s jobs seem secure for the time being, but someone had to take the blame for the 2024 season’s letdown.
Most people thought it would be defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, who in his first season as defensive coordinator oversaw a team that went from being mediocre in 2023 to one of the league’s worst defenses.
When Raheem Morris made the announcement, Lake was a dubious pick because he had no prior NFL DC experience, and it quickly became apparent that he was in over his head. Now, the Falcons are moving on, as the team announced both Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers have been relieved of their duties.
“After a thorough evaluation of the season, and with careful consideration for our team’s future, we deemed these moves necessary,” Raheem Morris said in a press release. “These decisions are never easy from the human side of things and we wish Jimmy, Jay and their families the best.”
The Falcons defense finished 23rd in the league in both points allowed and yards allowed. They were once again one of the worst teams in the league at rushing the passer, finishing 31st in the league in sacks, and were still experiencing miscommunications late in the season that were frankly inexcusable.
During the season’s last six games, the pass rush did offer some promise. Raheem Morris was reportedly more actively involved in defensive game planning by that time, though, which probably contributed to the better play.
In any case, the Falcons defense didn’t learn many lessons from it. The decision to let go of Jimmy Lake after just one year was made because the unit, which had high expectations going into the season after several new signings, failed significantly.