December 5, 2025 • 16 mins
John Michaels, Atlanta radio host on 680 The Fan, joins Dick Fain and Hugh Millen to talk about his Miami Hurricanes, Michael Penix with the Falcons, their overall situation at quarterback, Head Coach Raheem Morris, and Sunday’s game against the Hawks.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You breed love Millan joining us.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
And now to talk a little Seahawks Atlanta Falcons. Our
friend John Michaels from Atlanta eight sixty excuse me six't
eighty the fan?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
John?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
How you doing?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Man?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Doing fantastic?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Getting ready for a great weekend of college football? And
then I guess I have to watch the Falcons because
we're here. Yes, you do.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's let's start with college football. I was talking to
de Mark James, you and he commiserating over Miami. I'm
with you, guys, will I will fully admit I believe
Miami should be in. But what do you think are
the chances of your beloved Canes jumping Notre Dame at
what is at noon on Sunday when the final polls
(00:44):
cart final rankings come out?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yeah, you know, I would love to say I like
the chance of us getting in there, but what I've
seen with this committee is to expect absolutely nothing. And
if the names were flip flopped and Notre Dame was
at twelve and Miami was, I'd probably feel.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Just as bad about Miami being jumped. It's the most
ridiculous thing I have ever seen that a team. And
I was at the game on.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
August thirty first, I have season tickets in Miami.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I fly down.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
I watched us physically beat the hell out of Notre
Dame on August thirty first could game. I take nothing
against the IRA from the Irish. I think they're a
worthy playoff team, just not at the expense of Miami.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Because if you look across the top ten, you have.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Georgia over Old miss you have Oklahoma over Alabama. You
have Texas with three losses over Vandy. Why are all
those three teams in front of the other team because
they beat them head to head. Yet the only case
is Miami not over Notre Dame. And we hear all
these metrics and analytics dorks want to tell.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Us what hypothetically could happen.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Miami's better and they deserve to be there, and committee,
for the love you better let us in.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Well, John, let's shift to those falcons that are hurting
your eye balls. But let's start with a little bit
of a local angle. Michael Pennix was thought to be
the guy for this year. It's obviously been disappointing with
the injury and what have you. But just for our
Seattle audience, give us a take on what Michael Pennix was,
(02:17):
what the feeling was about him, and then of course
with the injury and leading into Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Man, it's to say right now, it feels like the
one word.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Answer would be disappointment.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
I am one and I loved Michael Penis at Washington,
watching him throw the ball all over the fields, all
those weapons that he had when he was at you Dub,
you know, seeing the way that that kid could stand
in the pocket and make every throw, him stepping up.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
And moving around a little bit.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
I know he wasn't you know, he wasn't Jaydon Daniels
to come in and run the ball, but athletic enough
to do stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And what we saw this year just didn't match.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
And I think part of it has to do with
I think he's in a terrible offensive system with Zach Robinson.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I was hoping that he'd get hired at Oklahoma State.
He didn't.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
You know, I don't think Raheem Morris is very good
as a coach, and I think Michael Pennix kind of
got caught up in a situation where he hasn't been
coached great. The team is really underachieved, and I think
a lot of people started to look at his play.
His footwork really was off, his accuracy was never really there.
So in year two a little bit disappointing. And then
(03:20):
you add and exacerbate with obviously the injury and now
not knowing when he's going to be back. Will it
be the beginning of next year? Does he missed part
of next year as well? Just disappointed that Michael hadn't
kind of manifested to as good of a quarterback as
we thought he was going to be.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You mentioned, hasn't been coach great And as you were
saying that, I had not realized this. I just looked
up Raheem Morris's head coaching record. He had three years
in Tampa Bay three and thirteen, then he pops ten
and six, and then he goes back to four and twelve. Well,
guess what he's done in Atlanta. He starts, he goes
four and seven in his first year twenty twenty, then
(03:58):
he kind of sort of pops eight to nine last year,
and then back to four and eight this year. So
are we going to see a three and done in
Atlanta for Raheem Morris like we did in Tampa Bay?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, And remember the twenty twenty year. He was actually
an interim coach. That was Dan Quinn got fired after
an zero to five start last year.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
You know, there were so many things we talked about
with Raheem Morris.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
It was terrible time management, not using timeouts, you know,
kind of just staring at the halo board as the
game is.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Going along, and we never really knew what we wanted.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Well, the scapegoat last year was Jimmy Lake, his defensive coordinator,
who he never probably should have hired to be an
NFL defensive coordinator. Now this year, the scapegoat turned into
Ike Hilliard, who was a wide receiver coach who got fired,
and now a lot of people are pointing.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
At Zach Robinson. Truthfully, if it.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Was up to me, Raheem Morris would be done. He
would get two full years, the interim year notwithstanding, and
he'd be done at the end of the year. I
quite frankly, just don't think he's a very good coach.
I think he's a good coordinator, and that's fine.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
In the NFL.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
There are guys that are set up to be coordinators
and not head coaches, and I think that's.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Where Raheem Morris falls and I think you've seen it
this year. The Falcons were supposed to win this division.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
If you looked at it on paper at the beginning
of the year, or at least sit and fight. They've
now been passed by not only by Tampa but Carolina.
Something's got to change at the end of the year.
But I don't really think it's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Then, on the offensive side of the ball, with the coaching,
we'd heard reports that Michael Pennick said that he didn't
have anybody to talk to when he came on to
the sidelines. Was that report accurate? Is that something that
the club has responded to just kind of obviously that
speaks to the head coach and the hierarchy and the
(05:43):
chain of command there. But what about that story and
how's that impacting the quarterbacks?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Yeah, we absolutely ran without a bunch when Michael Penis
was at a press conference and said, you know, he
turns the high school coaches and he talks to his
fiance and everything else. Look, I watch is many any
of these games as intently as anybody else. I have
seen a full disconnect on the sideline. Remember, at the
beginning of the year, Zach Robinson was in the booth
(06:09):
and then they go, well, it's not working. They fired
the wide receiver coach and Ike Hilliard and then they said,
all right, we're going to put Zach Robinson on the
field and that's going to fix it all. And I
actually played really well against Buffalo on a Monday night
where they win a game twenty eight to fourteen.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
But that was the game. I think it was twenty one.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
To nothing early and then the second half the offense
really really struggled. And then the rest of the time
the offense has struggled, and it doesn't feel like Michael
Pennick really has anybody over there.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I don't think him and Kirk Cousins were ever that close.
I don't think Kirk.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Cousins really gave a damn about helping out a guy
that he felt like took his job. Anyway, I don't
think Zach Robinson's cut out to be an offensive coordinator
in this league, judging by the fact that we ran
more pistol than anybody else in the league and the
fact that as soon as Kirk Cousins came in at quarterbacks,
suddenly we start going under center and suddenly the playoffs
and passes work in and now we're hearing that maybe
(07:01):
Michael Pennich is in capable of taking the ball from
under center. I've called that out because I saw games
that you dub and I get it. He was in
the shotgun a lot under Ryan Grubb, but there were
times he got under center and he could run play
action that was fine. I think they're just a dysfunctional mess,
and unfortunately for Michael, he's one that's caught up in
the mix of bad coaching, a terrible organization right now
(07:23):
and basically we're the Jets.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Of the South.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Oh I wish John was a little more opinionated, Hugh.
Don't you think you know?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
He just saw so much?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
So milk toast with his takes.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
John, Michael's joining US six eight of the fan in Atlanta. John,
let me let me be glass half full Falcons guy
for a second, Hey, John, if a couple of plays
go differently in the last month, this team six and
six are seven and five. I mean they got a
plus one point differential in the last five games, and
yet they're one and four in those games. So is
(07:53):
this a six and six team masquerading as a four
and eight team? And Why aren't they closing these games
that are so close in the end.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Yeah, I'm gonna steal the quote. You are what your
record says you are. Should they be better? Absolutely, You've
got a stud in Vijon Robinson when healthy.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Drake London is a stud.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I think the two kids you drafted on the defensive
front this year in James Pierce Junior and Jalen Walker,
can be really good. They've got pieces where they should
be better. The problem is when you lose a lot
of close games, you start to look at different places
and immediately I'm gonna look on the sidelines with Raheem Morris.
(08:34):
Normally I would give a team the benefit of the doubt.
You know, hey, we did lose a bunch of close
games early in the year. You lose a late game
to Tampa that you had chances to win. But this
is going to be eight straight years the Falcons have
finished below five hundred and not make the postseason. If
the Seahawks beat them on Sunday, they're eliminated from the postseason,
(08:55):
which is gonna mean we turn our attention to Georgia
football and we start looking at to the Braves, And
I don't think anybody that has an NFL team in
their city wants to be doing that with four or
five weeks left in the season. So, you know, I'd
love to have the glass half full with them. Unfortunately,
you know, I did sidelines for the team all the
way through the twenty tour through the twenty nineteen season.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
They have not made the postseason since then.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
They haven't been particularly close since then, and I don't
know that they're just a magic you know, kind of
snap the fingers and we're going to make up for
everything that's happened over.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
The past year.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
So now they are what they are. They're a way
below five hundred team. I fully expect them to get
their bus whoop this year this week, and there's going
to be a lot of the twelfth Man inside Mercedes
Benz Stadium, because I think Falcon fans will be their
Saturday for the SEC Championship game, and Sunday will be
at home, probably sitting watching the Selection Show, cooking some
(09:50):
wings and not really paying attention to the NFL product.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Well, John, give us a breakdown maybe on each side
of the ball. Offensively, the Falcons you mentioned Beson Robinson
number one by a good margin in use of the
outside zone, which was so celebrated with the arrival of
Clint Kubiak. Here, we're going to see a lot of that.
Drake London's out. You mentioned the piece more under center
as opposed to pistol. Just kind of what do you
(10:16):
see from the Falcon offense that Seattle defensively should be
concerned with.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
You know, the one thing they did a couple of
weeks ago, and a lot of it has to do
with Drake Lee and not being there. They went a
ton of thirteen personnel in the game that they won
against the Saints, So they're going to go three tight
run the football, play action pass. Unfortunately, and you know
I'm around the team, I don't know who has to
damn wide receivers are Darnell Mooney has been a super
(10:44):
disappointment this year, got hurt there in training camp.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
He can't catch the ball. He's not getting open the
way that he has.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
The other guys are basically free agent type receivers that
they're having to.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Try it out there.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
So Kyle Pitts, you know, if there is kind of
a slender of positivity or fourth overall pick has had
a solid year this year.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Kirk Cousins can't move. He's a statue back there.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
So it's literally going to be if Seattle can stop
Vijon and Tyler Algiar and Tyler Algiers is a monster
backup running back, the Falcons are going to have a
hard time getting to twenty points.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
How about on the other side of the ball. I mean,
this has been a Seahawk offense that really hasn't had
to do much the last few weeks. But when they
have had to do much, they Sam Darnold has been
hot and cold, we'll say, after his brilliant first two months.
So is this a Falcons d that could give Seattle's
offense problems?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah? If nothing else.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
You know, the Falcons for really the better part of
their franchise history just couldn't sack the quarterback. I mean
it was the most amazing thing you'd watch, Like, how
the hell are you getting eighteen fats a year? We
wanted to like a five week stretch where we had
five sacks or more. So, if there is something that
new defensive coordinator Jeff Obert's going to do really well
and Seattle needs to worry about, the Falcons will pressure
(11:57):
the quarterback. I mentioned the two young edge guys. They've
got a kid inside that played at Oregon, Brandon Dorles,
who's played really well so far for us.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
On the interior, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
You throw in Leonard Floyd Kaden Ellis at linebacker, getting
Divine Diablo back as a guy that really could run
sideline the sideline and hit you and make plays. I
think they've done well there. And then in the secondary
they kind of had a revelation with a young kid,
David will Watch, who they drafted out of Notre Dame.
Put him next to Jesse Bates at safety. Like the
defense has been good and in other years, like we
(12:31):
thought this offense was going to be pretty solid. This year,
the Falcons would have been a team you looked up
and go, all right, they might be on to something.
So Seattle's got to be careful. Look on third down
if you're in third and five or more, the Falcons
are bringing people.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
It's not going to be a four man rush it.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
They're gonna heat them up with five, six, sometimes seven
people and they're going to look to get a Sam Donald.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
On the ground.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Final moments with John Michaels discussing the Falcons, and my
question would be just from an overview of about the psyche.
Where are the Falcons? As you said, a game away
from elimination? It appears that Raheem Morris is a dead
man walking. I know from having played for the Falcons
for three years that you know it can be a
(13:13):
little bit of a apathy and maybe malaise. You know,
when things get this way. Is it hard for the
Falcons to get motivated this Sunday? We know they can.
You know that Buffalo game kind of gets my attention
that you you described that. But but where do you
think the Falcons are from a mindset standpoint as they
(13:34):
host the Seahawks Sunday?
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Yeah, team wise, I'm sure they're still motivating. That's the
thing about Raheem Morris.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
It's tough.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
He's actually really well liked inside the locker room. He's
an unbelievable players coach. I just don't know how much
accountability the team has. I mean, I've watched guys to
make mistakes and they trot back out there. I've seen systems,
you know, where they just continue to run the same
thing over and over again. I don't know what the
accountability is. I can tell you for the fans, there
(14:01):
as a we don't give a damn anymore. Like I
fell asleep in the third quarter of the game against
the Jets.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
It was so threatned, so boring.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
And you know, I use the Saints game for an example,
like that's our mortal enemy.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Like that is.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Absolute hatred, probably how you guys feel about the forty
nine ers. You don't miss the game. Ever, that same
Foucon's game had so little buzz, and I know it
was in New Orleans, but it had so little buzz
that people don't care. And I'm gonna tell you you're
going to be lucky to see forty thousand people inside
this building. I challenge you guys watch the SEC Championship
game Saturday and listen to how loud that place is
(14:39):
and watch the passion, and then you guys will obviously
watch the game Sunday.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
It is going to be a complete one to eighty.
It's going to be a.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Dead man, a dead environment. Fans don't care. People are
already talking about, hey, vote with your wallet and don't
show up. Apathy is probably the best word for the
fan base. You know, I know there's guys in this
on this team that are fighting for jobs and careers,
but I don't think it's.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Going to matter.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
I think they get eliminated from the playoffs Sunday, and
like I said, we'll be watching for the college football
playoffs and turn our attention to something that's going to
make us happy before the Christmas holidays.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Well there we go. That sounds like a good weekend.
The Canes make the play the playoff and then the
Seahawks hammer the Falcons. So you're happy. We're happy because
you don't care much about the Falcons anyway and what
they do the rest of the year. And we're all good.
So thanks John, we appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Man, have a good weekend. Hey anytime. Thanks guys, as.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
John Michaels and you know, we've been very fortunate in
this town for a long time, but really particularly this year.
I mean he talked about apathy. There's a lot of
Major League Baseball cities that have a hell of a
lot of apathy. For six months, we were not one
of them. There are quite a few NFL cities that
have big time apathy for their NFL team. We are
(15:50):
not one of them. So let's embrace it while we
got it. When we come back, big breaking news in
college football? Should I just let the cat out of
the bag right now.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
Jack, Let's just tease it as a major, potentially minor
now university in the state is going to have to
look for a new coach because, oh my god, the
trickle down in college football is happening.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
It is happening. We'll talk about next on ninety three
point three KJRFM.
You breed love Millan joining us.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
And now to talk a little Seahawks Atlanta Falcons. Our
friend John Michaels from Atlanta eight sixty excuse me six't
eighty the fan?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
John?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
How you doing?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
Man?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Doing fantastic?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Getting ready for a great weekend of college football? And
then I guess I have to watch the Falcons because
we're here. Yes, you do.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's let's start with college football. I was talking to
de Mark James, you and he commiserating over Miami. I'm
with you, guys, will I will fully admit I believe
Miami should be in. But what do you think are
the chances of your beloved Canes jumping Notre Dame at
what is at noon on Sunday when the final polls
(00:44):
cart final rankings come out?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yeah, you know, I would love to say I like
the chance of us getting in there, but what I've
seen with this committee is to expect absolutely nothing. And
if the names were flip flopped and Notre Dame was
at twelve and Miami was, I'd probably feel.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Just as bad about Miami being jumped. It's the most
ridiculous thing I have ever seen that a team. And
I was at the game on.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
August thirty first, I have season tickets in Miami.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I fly down.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
I watched us physically beat the hell out of Notre
Dame on August thirty first could game. I take nothing
against the IRA from the Irish. I think they're a
worthy playoff team, just not at the expense of Miami.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Because if you look across the top ten, you have.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Georgia over Old miss you have Oklahoma over Alabama. You
have Texas with three losses over Vandy. Why are all
those three teams in front of the other team because
they beat them head to head. Yet the only case
is Miami not over Notre Dame. And we hear all
these metrics and analytics dorks want to tell.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Us what hypothetically could happen.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Miami's better and they deserve to be there, and committee,
for the love you better let us in.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Well, John, let's shift to those falcons that are hurting
your eye balls. But let's start with a little bit
of a local angle. Michael Pennix was thought to be
the guy for this year. It's obviously been disappointing with
the injury and what have you. But just for our
Seattle audience, give us a take on what Michael Pennix was,
(02:17):
what the feeling was about him, and then of course
with the injury and leading into Kirk Cousins.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Man, it's to say right now, it feels like the
one word.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Answer would be disappointment.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
I am one and I loved Michael Penis at Washington,
watching him throw the ball all over the fields, all
those weapons that he had when he was at you Dub,
you know, seeing the way that that kid could stand
in the pocket and make every throw, him stepping up.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
And moving around a little bit.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
I know he wasn't you know, he wasn't Jaydon Daniels
to come in and run the ball, but athletic enough
to do stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
And what we saw this year just didn't match.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
And I think part of it has to do with
I think he's in a terrible offensive system with Zach Robinson.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I was hoping that he'd get hired at Oklahoma State.
He didn't.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
You know, I don't think Raheem Morris is very good
as a coach, and I think Michael Pennix kind of
got caught up in a situation where he hasn't been
coached great. The team is really underachieved, and I think
a lot of people started to look at his play.
His footwork really was off, his accuracy was never really there.
So in year two a little bit disappointing. And then
(03:20):
you add and exacerbate with obviously the injury and now
not knowing when he's going to be back. Will it
be the beginning of next year? Does he missed part
of next year as well? Just disappointed that Michael hadn't
kind of manifested to as good of a quarterback as
we thought he was going to be.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
You mentioned, hasn't been coach great And as you were
saying that, I had not realized this. I just looked
up Raheem Morris's head coaching record. He had three years
in Tampa Bay three and thirteen, then he pops ten
and six, and then he goes back to four and twelve. Well,
guess what he's done in Atlanta. He starts, he goes
four and seven in his first year twenty twenty, then
(03:58):
he kind of sort of pops eight to nine last year,
and then back to four and eight this year. So
are we going to see a three and done in
Atlanta for Raheem Morris like we did in Tampa Bay?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
Yeah, And remember the twenty twenty year. He was actually
an interim coach. That was Dan Quinn got fired after
an zero to five start last year.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
You know, there were so many things we talked about
with Raheem Morris.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
It was terrible time management, not using timeouts, you know,
kind of just staring at the halo board as the
game is.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Going along, and we never really knew what we wanted.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
Well, the scapegoat last year was Jimmy Lake, his defensive coordinator,
who he never probably should have hired to be an
NFL defensive coordinator. Now this year, the scapegoat turned into
Ike Hilliard, who was a wide receiver coach who got fired,
and now a lot of people are pointing.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
At Zach Robinson. Truthfully, if it.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Was up to me, Raheem Morris would be done. He
would get two full years, the interim year notwithstanding, and
he'd be done at the end of the year. I
quite frankly, just don't think he's a very good coach.
I think he's a good coordinator, and that's fine.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
In the NFL.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
There are guys that are set up to be coordinators
and not head coaches, and I think that's.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Where Raheem Morris falls and I think you've seen it
this year. The Falcons were supposed to win this division.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
If you looked at it on paper at the beginning
of the year, or at least sit and fight. They've
now been passed by not only by Tampa but Carolina.
Something's got to change at the end of the year.
But I don't really think it's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Then, on the offensive side of the ball, with the coaching,
we'd heard reports that Michael Pennick said that he didn't
have anybody to talk to when he came on to
the sidelines. Was that report accurate? Is that something that
the club has responded to just kind of obviously that
speaks to the head coach and the hierarchy and the
(05:43):
chain of command there. But what about that story and
how's that impacting the quarterbacks?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Yeah, we absolutely ran without a bunch when Michael Penis
was at a press conference and said, you know, he
turns the high school coaches and he talks to his
fiance and everything else. Look, I watch is many any
of these games as intently as anybody else. I have
seen a full disconnect on the sideline. Remember, at the
beginning of the year, Zach Robinson was in the booth
(06:09):
and then they go, well, it's not working. They fired
the wide receiver coach and Ike Hilliard and then they said,
all right, we're going to put Zach Robinson on the
field and that's going to fix it all. And I
actually played really well against Buffalo on a Monday night
where they win a game twenty eight to fourteen.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
But that was the game. I think it was twenty one.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
To nothing early and then the second half the offense
really really struggled. And then the rest of the time
the offense has struggled, and it doesn't feel like Michael
Pennick really has anybody over there.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I don't think him and Kirk Cousins were ever that close.
I don't think Kirk.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Cousins really gave a damn about helping out a guy
that he felt like took his job. Anyway, I don't
think Zach Robinson's cut out to be an offensive coordinator
in this league, judging by the fact that we ran
more pistol than anybody else in the league and the
fact that as soon as Kirk Cousins came in at quarterbacks,
suddenly we start going under center and suddenly the playoffs
and passes work in and now we're hearing that maybe
(07:01):
Michael Pennich is in capable of taking the ball from
under center. I've called that out because I saw games
that you dub and I get it. He was in
the shotgun a lot under Ryan Grubb, but there were
times he got under center and he could run play
action that was fine. I think they're just a dysfunctional mess,
and unfortunately for Michael, he's one that's caught up in
the mix of bad coaching, a terrible organization right now
(07:23):
and basically we're the Jets.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Of the South.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Oh I wish John was a little more opinionated, Hugh.
Don't you think you know?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
He just saw so much?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
So milk toast with his takes.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
John, Michael's joining US six eight of the fan in Atlanta. John,
let me let me be glass half full Falcons guy
for a second, Hey, John, if a couple of plays
go differently in the last month, this team six and
six are seven and five. I mean they got a
plus one point differential in the last five games, and
yet they're one and four in those games. So is
(07:53):
this a six and six team masquerading as a four
and eight team? And Why aren't they closing these games
that are so close in the end.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Yeah, I'm gonna steal the quote. You are what your
record says you are. Should they be better? Absolutely, You've
got a stud in Vijon Robinson when healthy.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Drake London is a stud.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I think the two kids you drafted on the defensive
front this year in James Pierce Junior and Jalen Walker,
can be really good. They've got pieces where they should
be better. The problem is when you lose a lot
of close games, you start to look at different places
and immediately I'm gonna look on the sidelines with Raheem Morris.
(08:34):
Normally I would give a team the benefit of the doubt.
You know, hey, we did lose a bunch of close
games early in the year. You lose a late game
to Tampa that you had chances to win. But this
is going to be eight straight years the Falcons have
finished below five hundred and not make the postseason. If
the Seahawks beat them on Sunday, they're eliminated from the postseason,
(08:55):
which is gonna mean we turn our attention to Georgia
football and we start looking at to the Braves, And
I don't think anybody that has an NFL team in
their city wants to be doing that with four or
five weeks left in the season. So, you know, I'd
love to have the glass half full with them. Unfortunately,
you know, I did sidelines for the team all the
way through the twenty tour through the twenty nineteen season.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
They have not made the postseason since then.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
They haven't been particularly close since then, and I don't
know that they're just a magic you know, kind of
snap the fingers and we're going to make up for
everything that's happened over.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
The past year.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
So now they are what they are. They're a way
below five hundred team. I fully expect them to get
their bus whoop this year this week, and there's going
to be a lot of the twelfth Man inside Mercedes
Benz Stadium, because I think Falcon fans will be their
Saturday for the SEC Championship game, and Sunday will be
at home, probably sitting watching the Selection Show, cooking some
(09:50):
wings and not really paying attention to the NFL product.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Well, John, give us a breakdown maybe on each side
of the ball. Offensively, the Falcons you mentioned Beson Robinson
number one by a good margin in use of the
outside zone, which was so celebrated with the arrival of
Clint Kubiak. Here, we're going to see a lot of that.
Drake London's out. You mentioned the piece more under center
as opposed to pistol. Just kind of what do you
(10:16):
see from the Falcon offense that Seattle defensively should be
concerned with.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
You know, the one thing they did a couple of
weeks ago, and a lot of it has to do
with Drake Lee and not being there. They went a
ton of thirteen personnel in the game that they won
against the Saints, So they're going to go three tight
run the football, play action pass. Unfortunately, and you know
I'm around the team, I don't know who has to
damn wide receivers are Darnell Mooney has been a super
(10:44):
disappointment this year, got hurt there in training camp.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
He can't catch the ball. He's not getting open the
way that he has.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
The other guys are basically free agent type receivers that
they're having to.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Try it out there.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
So Kyle Pitts, you know, if there is kind of
a slender of positivity or fourth overall pick has had
a solid year this year.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Kirk Cousins can't move. He's a statue back there.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
So it's literally going to be if Seattle can stop
Vijon and Tyler Algiar and Tyler Algiers is a monster
backup running back, the Falcons are going to have a
hard time getting to twenty points.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
How about on the other side of the ball. I mean,
this has been a Seahawk offense that really hasn't had
to do much the last few weeks. But when they
have had to do much, they Sam Darnold has been
hot and cold, we'll say, after his brilliant first two months.
So is this a Falcons d that could give Seattle's
offense problems?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah? If nothing else.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
You know, the Falcons for really the better part of
their franchise history just couldn't sack the quarterback. I mean
it was the most amazing thing you'd watch, Like, how
the hell are you getting eighteen fats a year? We
wanted to like a five week stretch where we had
five sacks or more. So, if there is something that
new defensive coordinator Jeff Obert's going to do really well
and Seattle needs to worry about, the Falcons will pressure
(11:57):
the quarterback. I mentioned the two young edge guys. They've
got a kid inside that played at Oregon, Brandon Dorles,
who's played really well so far for us.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
On the interior, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
You throw in Leonard Floyd Kaden Ellis at linebacker, getting
Divine Diablo back as a guy that really could run
sideline the sideline and hit you and make plays. I
think they've done well there. And then in the secondary
they kind of had a revelation with a young kid,
David will Watch, who they drafted out of Notre Dame.
Put him next to Jesse Bates at safety. Like the
defense has been good and in other years, like we
(12:31):
thought this offense was going to be pretty solid. This year,
the Falcons would have been a team you looked up
and go, all right, they might be on to something.
So Seattle's got to be careful. Look on third down
if you're in third and five or more, the Falcons
are bringing people.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
It's not going to be a four man rush it.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
They're gonna heat them up with five, six, sometimes seven
people and they're going to look to get a Sam Donald.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
On the ground.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Final moments with John Michaels discussing the Falcons, and my
question would be just from an overview of about the psyche.
Where are the Falcons? As you said, a game away
from elimination? It appears that Raheem Morris is a dead
man walking. I know from having played for the Falcons
for three years that you know it can be a
(13:13):
little bit of a apathy and maybe malaise. You know,
when things get this way. Is it hard for the
Falcons to get motivated this Sunday? We know they can.
You know that Buffalo game kind of gets my attention
that you you described that. But but where do you
think the Falcons are from a mindset standpoint as they
(13:34):
host the Seahawks Sunday?
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Yeah, team wise, I'm sure they're still motivating. That's the
thing about Raheem Morris.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
It's tough.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
He's actually really well liked inside the locker room. He's
an unbelievable players coach. I just don't know how much
accountability the team has. I mean, I've watched guys to
make mistakes and they trot back out there. I've seen systems,
you know, where they just continue to run the same
thing over and over again. I don't know what the
accountability is. I can tell you for the fans, there
(14:01):
as a we don't give a damn anymore. Like I
fell asleep in the third quarter of the game against
the Jets.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
It was so threatned, so boring.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
And you know, I use the Saints game for an example,
like that's our mortal enemy.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Like that is.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Absolute hatred, probably how you guys feel about the forty
nine ers. You don't miss the game. Ever, that same
Foucon's game had so little buzz, and I know it
was in New Orleans, but it had so little buzz
that people don't care. And I'm gonna tell you you're
going to be lucky to see forty thousand people inside
this building. I challenge you guys watch the SEC Championship
game Saturday and listen to how loud that place is
(14:39):
and watch the passion, and then you guys will obviously
watch the game Sunday.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
It is going to be a complete one to eighty.
It's going to be a.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Dead man, a dead environment. Fans don't care. People are
already talking about, hey, vote with your wallet and don't
show up. Apathy is probably the best word for the
fan base. You know, I know there's guys in this
on this team that are fighting for jobs and careers,
but I don't think it's.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Going to matter.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
I think they get eliminated from the playoffs Sunday, and
like I said, we'll be watching for the college football
playoffs and turn our attention to something that's going to
make us happy before the Christmas holidays.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Well there we go. That sounds like a good weekend.
The Canes make the play the playoff and then the
Seahawks hammer the Falcons. So you're happy. We're happy because
you don't care much about the Falcons anyway and what
they do the rest of the year. And we're all good.
So thanks John, we appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Man, have a good weekend. Hey anytime. Thanks guys, as.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
John Michaels and you know, we've been very fortunate in
this town for a long time, but really particularly this year.
I mean he talked about apathy. There's a lot of
Major League Baseball cities that have a hell of a
lot of apathy. For six months, we were not one
of them. There are quite a few NFL cities that
have big time apathy for their NFL team. We are
(15:50):
not one of them. So let's embrace it while we
got it. When we come back, big breaking news in
college football? Should I just let the cat out of
the bag right now.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
Jack, Let's just tease it as a major, potentially minor
now university in the state is going to have to
look for a new coach because, oh my god, the
trickle down in college football is happening.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
It is happening. We'll talk about next on ninety three
point three KJRFM.
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