The Atlanta Falcons fell short in a nail-biting 17-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints, extending their struggles in the heated NFC South rivalry. Following the game, Falcons’ head coach Raheem Morris was candid in his assessment of the team’s performance, emphasizing both the fight shown by his players and the missed opportunities that ultimately led to their defeat.
Morris acknowledged that his team had multiple opportunities to secure the win but failed to capitalize when it mattered most. “We had all the chances in the world out there and couldn’t capitalize,” Morris said. “I was really ecstatic about the fight for those guys to put themselves in position to win that game even though it wasn’t our best performance.”
The Falcons’ slow start was a key factor in the loss, with the Saints dominating time of possession in the first quarter. Morris pointed out that Atlanta’s offense struggled to find its rhythm early on. “The three-and-out that we got early…we weren’t able to move the chains. It was more time of possession; they just crushed us in the first quarter,” he explained.
The defense held its ground for much of the game, but two explosive plays by the Saints tipped the scales. Morris stressed the need for his team to prevent such game-changing moments in the future, saying, “We’ve got to go out there and find a way to stop those plays…those plays can be disastrous within the framework of the game.”
Confidence in Younghoe Koo
Despite the loss, Morris expressed unwavering confidence in kicker Younghoe Koo, who missed three field goals in the game. “I have all of the confidence in the world in Younghoe. He’s one of the best kickers in the game,” Morris affirmed. He likened Koo’s performance to that of a shooter, noting, “He had an off day…shooters shoot. He went out there today and took a shot, and didn’t make it.”
