In one of the most unexpected Super Bowl matchups in recent memory, the consensus expectations are fairly one-sided. The Seahawks have firmly established themselves as one of the NFL’s true elite teams. They have dismantled overmatched opponents and manuevered their way into making pivotal plays in high-leverage situations to beat the league’s best. Despite all […]
When Ryan Poles and his assistant general manager Ian Cunningham arrived in Chicago in 2022, they were replacing Ryan Pace, who had been the team’s GM from 2015 to 2021. Now that Cunningham is arriving in Atlanta, Pace is once again headed elsewhere. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reports that vice president of football operations and […]
Surprise, surprise. As I wrote back on January 6, Atlanta’s contract adjustment for Kirk Cousins indicated that they were going to cut him, given that they would have a truly unpalatable cap hit next year if they did not. Now Adam Schefter is reporting that the Falcons are planning to do so before the start […]
The story of the Atlanta Falcons in the post-Matt Ryan era—and now I have to specify that it is the post-Matt Ryan on-field era—is a failure at quarterback. There are many other stories that intertwine with that one, naturally, from a lackluster defense to special teams woes to poor coaching and poor roster building. But […]
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Falcons fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. It’s rare for a Super Bowl matchup to feature two teams who were not expected to […]
The Falcons hired Ian Cunningham as their next general manager, along with a few notable offensive assistant coaches. Kevin Knight and Tre’Shon Diaz break down the hires, including thoughts on how Ian Cunningham will change the the roster and draft strategy. Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode of the Dirty Birds and Brews podcast! You […]
New general manager Ian Cunningham is stepping into a less-than-ideal situation in Atlanta. On one hand, he has some terrific pieces on both sides of the ball, a reasonable amount of cap space, and a fanbase that knows that 2026 is not a year where we’re going to place outsized expectations after eight straight losing […]
General managers may come and go, but front office staff can remain through those changes. Longtime Falcons scout and director of college scouting Anthony Robinson, who is now with the Rams, is an example of a key executive who stuck around after Thomas Dimitroff was fired in a major role. Tokunbo Abanikanda is following that […]
The Atlanta Falcons officially hired former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on January 17th. Since then, there have been 13 mock drafts where the Falcons, who are without a 2026 1st-round pick, in case you forgot, are selecting at least one player. Some pundits got so bold as to go through all seven rounds; […]
The Atlanta Falcons have long tried to emulate other organizations. They sought to gain the personnel genius of the Patriots, the free agency and cap wizardry of the Saints (blech), and the defensive mastery of the Seahawks and offensive excellence of the Titans. Never content to sit still, flitting rapidly from one disaster to the […]
With the Chicago Bears eliminated from the playoffs, Atlanta moved quickly to line up their new general manager. That would be Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, who steps into his new role as Falcons GM reporting to Matt Ryan and working with freshly minted head coach Kevin Stefanski to try to build this team […]
The Falcons officially hired Ian Cunningham as their next general manager. Meanwhile, the 2026 NFL Draft season has officially kicked off with the Senior Bowl. Kevin Knight is joined by Aaron Freeman to discuss the latest updates and the biggest takeaways and Falcons targets from the Senior Bowl. Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode of […]
The East-West Shrine Bowl festivities have ended, and there are a handful of prospects that boosted their stock and caught the attention of analysts. The team is going to have to be calculated with their minimal draft assets this coming spring, and Shrine is a great place to do some bargain shopping. Here are four […]
The Falcons introduced Kevin Stefanski on Tuesday, bringing some important news on who will be calling plays on offense and the state of the general manager search. Kevin Knight and Tre’Shon Diaz break down the decision to have Tommy Rees call plays, the hire of special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, other coaching hires and retentions, […]
The Atlanta Falcons have now filled all three coordinator positions, bringing aboard ex-Dolphins, Titans, and Chargers special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman for the same position on Kevin Stefanski’s staff. Aukerman is not a choice that will cause Falcons fans to party, but that would probably be true of any special teams coordinator. What he does […]
The 2025 NFL season wasn’t kind to the Atlanta Falcons, who missed the playoffs for the eighth-straight year, saw their starting quarterback tear his ACL, and wound up firing their head coach and general manager. It’s been tumultuous, to say the least. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, as the Falcons […]
Despite missing the playoffs for the eighth-straight season, the Atlanta Falcons received some welcome news on Thursday. Star running back Bijan Robinson was officially named a finalist for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award, while defenders James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts were both named finalists for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the […]
Atlanta’s going to head into free agency with a little pocket money to work with and several pressing needs. They’ll also want to acquire talent that Kevin Stefanski believes he can win with. While most of those faces will be fairly new, in all likelihood, a couple of players who have crossed paths with Stefanski […]
The Atlanta Falcons briefly intrigued me by interviewing a pair of interesting candidates for their offensive coordinator opening, but in the end, it went to the favorite and the familiar face. That would be Tommy Rees, who held that same position on Kevin Stefanski’s 2025 Cleveland Browns coaching staff. With former Browns offensive line coach […]
The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski to take the team in a new direction, and his staff is already starting to take shape. Kevin Knight and Adnan Ikic are joined by Joe Patrick to discuss how Stefanski will change the Falcons, including his staff, scheme, and leadership style. We also discuss the general manager search and […]
Now the Falcons general manager search is really ramping up. On Wednesday, we learned that the Falcons put in for a flurry of interview requests with Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, Texans assistant GM James Liipfert, and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams. They join Steelers assistant GM Andy Weidl, who […]
While Kevin Stefanski has been hired and is busy building his staff, the Falcons general manager search has been a much quieter affair. We’ve all been waiting to see when they’ll interview candidates like Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, who interviewed for the president of football job that was inevitably going to Matt Ryan, […]
Baker Mayfield says he can’t wait to play Kevin Stefanski’s Atlanta Falcons twice a year, something he has made clear after taking exception to an article from AJC’s D. Orlando Ledbetter. Failed might be considered harsh, but it’s an accurate summation of Mayfield’s Browns career. After getting to hand-pick Freddie Kitchens to be his head […]
The Atlanta Falcons need a new offensive coordinator for new head coach Kevin Stefanski, and one likely candidate is already off the market after former Browns and Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing landed with the Lions. It turns out Arizona had another candidate the Falcons were interested in. That would be wide receivers coach and […]
The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as their next head coach, and Kevin Knight and Tre’Shon Diaz are here to discuss the decision. Is Stefanski the right choice for Atlanta, and what are his strengths and weaknesses? What can we expect from his offense, and the defense under Jeff Ulbrich? Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode […]