Falcons rank among NFL's best in surprising stat since 2021

In the NFL, the best teams are usually the ones that avoid beating themselves with untimely penalties and careless turnovers. For some reason, this correlation doesn't seem to apply to the Atlanta Falcons, who've been painfully average over the last five years.

>The team went 7-9 in three consecutive seasons under former head coach Arthur Smith (2021-2023) before hiring Raheem Morris in 2024. Despite a slight improvement under Morris, the Falcons failed to get over the hump with back-to-back 8-9 seasons in 2024 and 2025.

>Atlanta has been hindered by a lack of stability at the quarterback position, however, the team may have been closer to turning things around than we realized.

>Pro Football Focus broke down the NFL's most- and least-penalized teams over the last five seasons. Despite the Falcons' eight-year playoff drought, they have committed the second-fewest penalties of any team in the league since 2021.

>Atlanta's 520 penalties are just four behind the Cincinnati Bengals (516) for the fewest total infractions in the NFL over that span. PFF was quick to point out this bizarre anomaly.

>"As for the other end of the spectrum, the result is also a mixed bag in terms of team results," wrote PFF's Bradley Locker. "The Falcons and Colts rank 20th or worse in winning percentage over the last five seasons, failing to make the playoffs at all in that span."

>The Falcons ended the 2025 season on a four-game winning streak, making Morris' firing a bit of a surprise. While the team clearly failed to take the next step under their former coach, things could have been much worse.

>New head coach Kevin Stefanski comes from Cleveland, where the Browns have struggled with penalties over the last five years. In terms of offensive penalties, the Browns have the third-highest infraction rate since 2021. Defensively, Cleveland ranks 26th in total penalties over that span.

>Don't worry too much, though. The Falcons and Browns both committed 108 total penalties last season, which ranks right in the middle of the NFL.

>This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons rank among NFL's best in surprising stat since 2021