Falcons waste 6-3 start, miss playoffs for seventh consecutive season

Catch up quick: On Nov. 3, Atlanta had a 6-3 record after beating the Dallas Cowboys. They were undefeated in the division and controlled their own destiny.

• What happened next was an epic collapse that feels like it could only happen to a franchise that once blew a 28-3 second half lead in the Super Bowl.

State of play: The Falcons lost four straight as their $150 million quarterback Kirk Cousins struggled. Atlanta squeaked by a two-win Raiders team before switching to their rookie backup Michael Penix Jr.

• Even after losing the division lead, Atlanta was gifted first place again on the Sunday before Christmas, when Tampa fell to Dallas.

Yes, but: The Falcons promptly lost two straight to end the season, including Sunday's game against the last-place Panthers, who were 4-12 coming into the finale.

• If you're doing the math that's a 2-6 finish for Atlanta.

What's next: The offseason.

What we're watching: Some big decisions have to be made by a front office that gave Cousins, 36, $100 million in guaranteed money this past offseason, despite the fact that he was coming off an achilles injury. It is highly unlikely he will be back in a Falcons uniform next year as Penix has looked every bit the part of a franchise quarterback.

• The team's defense is also in need of serious upgrades. The secondary struggled throughout the year and, despite a late-season pass rush surge, Atlanta still finished near the bottom of the NFL for sacks.

• There are also plenty of questions about the future of fourth-year general manager Terry Fontenot, who has missed on a number of draft picks and bears responsibility to the Cousins signing.

The bottom line: Yes, the Falcons ended their streak of three straight 7-10 seasons to finish at 8-9. But this year was a disappointment for first-year head coach Raheem Morris.