'Falcons' Raheem Morris cautious of Saints, commends their temporary leader'

All the pieces seem to be falling into place for the Atlanta Falcons, who have matched their best start since their 2016 NFC Championship season with a 27-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

The Falcons (6-3) have taken control of the NFC South. This franchise, which has been searching for its first winning season and postseason appearance since 2017, has a chance to improve its chances this Sunday against the rival New Orleans Saints. A win would give the Falcons a perfect 5-0 record against division opponents.

Raheem Morris, who was hired as Atlanta's head coach in January, previously served as the Falcons' interim coach in 2020 after Dan Quinn was fired midway through the season. Now, Morris and his team are preparing to face a Saints team that has just made the same move.

Also see this picks: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Georgia Bulldogs Pick & Prediction JANUARY 2nd 2025 Also see this picks: Duke Blue Devils vs. Mississippi Rebels Pick & Prediction JANUARY 2nd 2025

New Orleans fired head coach Dennis Allen on Monday after losing their seventh consecutive game. Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has been named the interim coach for the remainder of the 2024 season.

As a coach who has experienced being part of an interim staff, Morris understands that the Falcons' opponent will still be motivated on Sunday.

"When a coach gets fired in that situation, it doesn't mean that everything they were doing was bad. Everything Dennis Allen was trying to do wasn't terrible," Morris said in Monday's press conference. "It's just about applying your message and getting those guys to play for you. We know how good of a coach Rizzi is and what he can do, so we need to be ready to go because we know what it looks like from the other side."

With a strong offense, Atlanta is looking to sweep New Orleans for the first time since 2016. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has thrown for seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in the last two weeks, showing steady improvement under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

"Zac has done a great job," Morris added. "He's judged based on how Kirk looks and what he does. You can't deny that they have both gotten better with every opportunity they've had. Their growth each week has been impressive."

Cousins' 2,328 passing yards rank third in the NFL, and his 17 passing touchdowns are tied for fourth-most in the league. Under Robinson, the Falcons' offense is averaging 24.6 points per game, which ranks 12th in the NFL. This is an improvement from last year's average of 18.9 points per game.

On the injury front, Morris stated that wide receiver Drake London (hip pointer) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (Achilles strain) are both considered day-to-day this week. London left the Cowboys game after making an acrobatic 9-yard touchdown catch.

Also see this picks: North Texas Mean Green vs. Texas State Bobcats Pick & Prediction JANUARY 3rd 2025 Also see this picks: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Pick & Prediction JANUARY 3rd 2025

Morris also mentioned that linebacker Troy Andersen, who has missed the last five games with a knee injury, was "close" to playing against Dallas.

"I think this week could be a turning point for us," Morris said. "There's a possibility that he could be active this week and we'll see what he can do."