Falcons fire DC Jimmy Lake
The Atlanta Falcons fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers, the team announced Saturday.
"After a thorough evaluation of the season, and with careful consideration for our team's future, we deemed these moves necessary," head coach Raheem Morris said in a statement. "These decisions are never easy from the human side of things, and we wish Jimmy, Jay, and their families the best."
Morris became more involved with the defense as the season progressed, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports. The head coach criticized the defense's performance after Atlanta's most recent loss to the Carolina Panthers.
"We had an awful game," Morris said the day after the regular-season finale, per The Athletic's Josh Kendall. "We had a game like that just recently in Minnesota with some confusion calls in the back end and allowing wide-open players. Those are the things that can't happen. We are definitely more capable of playing at a higher level than we did yesterday."
Lake and Rodgers had just finished their first season in Atlanta. Both were based in Los Angeles for the 2023 season: Lake as the Rams' assistant head coach, and Rodgers working as defensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Chargers.
The Falcons' defense was mediocre in the 2024 campaign, ranking 23rd in points and yards allowed per game.