The Atlanta Falcons have a new head coach

Stefanski had been linked to the Falcons job by numerous reporters since the very beginning of the process, and once John Harbaugh was made official by the Giants, it felt like Atlanta had a clear frontrunner.

The former Browns head coach won two Coach of the Year awards in Cleveland, leading the franchise to the playoffs twice, which is almost the equivalent of taking another organization to the postseason 20 times. He was consistently hampered by the situation around him, and the Falcons are hoping their leadership can provide him with everything he needs to maximize his potential in Atlanta.

However, despite those two award-winning seasons, Stefanski arrives with plenty to prove. He didn’t do the best job developing Baker Mayfield, who went on to find significant success in Tampa Bay and will now, ironically, be competing with the Falcons for the division for years to come. Stefanski also posted a rough 8-26 record over his final two seasons in Cleveland. Even if the Browns gave him very little to work with, that résumé understandably raises questions, especially when Atlanta is banking on his ability to unlock the potential of Michael Penix Jr.

Of all the openings this cycle, the Falcons were among the most attractive. Their defense is loaded with young talent, and Stefanski is expected to retain defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, whom Atlanta blocked from interviewing elsewhere for the same role. Offensively, the Falcons may feature the best player in football in Bijan Robinson, and Drake London continues to emerge as a star at wide receiver. The team finished 14th in yards per game last season but struggled mightily in the red zone, ranking 24th in points per game.

That is what the Falcons are counting on Kevin Stefanski to fix. This roster is built to compete for a playoff spot immediately in a division that is as winnable as any in the league. Anything short of that in his first season will be viewed as a disappointment.