Author: Marc Raimondi

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 18, 2025, 07:53 PM ET

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Raheem Morris named Jeff Ulbrich as his defensive coordinator when Morris became Atlanta Falcons interim head coach in 2020.

On Saturday, Morris, back in another stint with the Falcons, tabbed Ulbrich as his defensive coordinator yet again. He replaces Jimmy Lake, who was fired on Jan. 11 after just one season with the team.

Ulbrich, 47, had most recently been the interim head coach of the New York Jets. He took over after the firing of Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. The Jets went 3-9 after the

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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 16, 2025, 06:00 AM ET

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ATLANTA — Raheem Morris was visibly upset when he walked into the news conference room inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 5.

The Atlanta Falcons head coach is the uplifting type. He builds his players up and allows them to be themselves. Morris wasn’t in any mood for that after a 44-38 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers to end the 2024 season. The former Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator said he was “shocked” by how poorly his team’s defense played, implying that they simply didn’t show up.

With

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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 11, 2025, 03:19 PM ET

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The Atlanta Falcons have fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake after a disappointing season on that side of the ball, the team announced Saturday.

Lake had been with the Falcons for just a single season, coming over from the Los Angeles Rams with first-year Atlanta coach Raheem Morris. Lake was the assistant head coach with the Rams in 2023 and previously the head coach at the University of Washington.

The Falcons also fired defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, who had previously been with the Los Angeles

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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 9, 2025, 12:12 PM ET

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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons are ready to move forward with one of the most expensive backup quarterbacks in NFL history, according to the team’s general manager.

The Falcons benched quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 16 after a stretch of five games with nine interceptions and just one touchdown pass. Rookie Michael Penix Jr., who was slated to be the quarterback of the future, was thrust into the starting role over the final three weeks of the season and performed well, though

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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 6, 2025, 06:00 AM ET

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ATLANTA — Michael Penix Jr‘ s confidence couldn’t be shaken, even after the Atlanta Falcons season-ending loss to the Carolina Panthers.

When the rookie quarterback was asked what his message would be to long-suffering Falcons fans, Penix replied, “Continue to believe.”

“I feel like we got a lot of talent on this team, a lot of talent coming back, and we’re just going to continue to build off of this year,” Penix said. “So, I look forward to a lot of playoffs and even Super

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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 5, 2025, 02:18 PM ET

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ATLANTA — Much of the talk around Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is how impressive his arm has looked. On Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, in a game Atlanta needed to win to stay in playoff contention, he showed he has some wheels as well.

PENIX FOR THE PYLON.

📺: #CARvsATL on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/FTBElkXvNH

— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

Penix scrambled for a 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10 with 5:20 left in the first half. The rookie went through his

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