While consecutive victories for the Atlanta Falcons have been validating, the timing of those wins is yet another reminder of a season filled with struggle.
The disappointment for head coach Raheem Morris and company lies in the fact that the victories are meaningless in terms of the team’s postseason implications. Atlanta (6-9) was eliminated from playoff contention for the eighth straight year after its 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 7.
Since then, the Falcons have shown life with wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals. Morris is happy with his team’s fight down the stretch, but the what-ifs are eating at him now.
“It is frustrating,” Morris told reporters on Monday. “You know you had an ability to pull out a win versus the Panthers, don’t make the critical mistakes we made versus the Jets, and there’s always going to be those games you can flash back to.”
Of the positives Atlanta can take from an eighth straight losing season, tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. is playing as expected this season after a mostly inconsistent five-year career for the former No. 4 overall pick in 2021.
A free agent after the season, Pitts leads the team with 80 receptions for 854 yards and has five touchdowns. He has 35 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns across the Falcons’ last four outings.
The 25-year-old’s future in Atlanta is uncertain, but Pitts has assured himself a likely number of suitors once the year comes to an end.
“This is what he looked like throughout the whole course of training camp,” Morris said of Pitts. “But within the course of the season, he’s shown moments like he did yesterday and even a week before. To put the consistent games back-to-back like this I think is something that’s really nice for us all to see.”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been a spark since taking over in Week 11, while wide receiver Drake London is back after missing four games with a PCL sprain. London had three receptions for 27 yards during Sunday’s 26-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
As the Falcons prepare to play spoiler next Monday against the Los Angeles Rams, Morris hopes to see London closer to full strength.
“To say banged up, no. To say he’s knocking some rust off, yes,” Morris said. “Happy that he’s doing it, happy that he’s out there with his team. We all know the type of player that Drake is and what he is on an everyday basis. He was not his normal self (on Sunday), but whatever you get from Drake is always a benefit. It’s always a blessing.”
