As theNFL's Super Bowl hopefuls begin mapping their path to the Vince Lombardi Trophy, those teams that missed out on the playoffs begin rebuilding for next year.
For some teams, that involves a shake-up in the coaching staff and front office. The tradition is so established that it even has an informal nickname: "Black Monday."
TheAtlanta Falconsgot a headstart on the rest of the league Sunday night, announcing the firing of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.
The move came despite the Falcons finishing the season on a four-game winning streak to end the campaign at 8-9 in a three-way tie atop the NFC South, though the Carolina Panthers won the division through a series of tiebreakers.
A five-game losing skid in the middle of the season doomed Atlanta's playoff hopes and likely sealed Morris' and Fontenot's fates.
Morris served as Falcons head coach for two seasons, finishing with an identical 8-9 record in both campaigns. Fontenot accumulated a 37-48 record in five seasons as the team's GM.
"I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward," said Falcons owner Arthur Blank in ateam statement.
"The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership."
The team says it will immediately begin concurrent searches to fill both positions.
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