FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons’ hierarchy may be in denial.
As in: There’s nothing wrong with their offense. They just must run it better.
The word of the week around practice was “execution.”
Others see a unit that has poor spacing and is predictable and boring.
Whatever the case, the Falcons (3-4) will need to find the end zone more often when they face the Patriots (6-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Patriots, winners of five consecutive games, are perhaps the hottest team in the NFL, along with the Colts (7-1).
Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner took to social media to analyze the performance by the Falcons offense Sunday against the Dolphins.
“I’m struggling to watch the ATL O tape!!! Predictable … boring (same plays over and over) … don’t like the spacing often … lots of miscommunication …. just don’t really get it.??!”
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was asked about the offense being predictable and boring.
“Yeah, I mean, that’s not — again, I can’t answer to that,” Robinson said.
The Falcons’ offense is moving the ball, but is not scoring points. The Falcons average 342.7 total yards per game, which ranks 14th in the NFL. The Falcons average 123.3 yards rushing (11th), 219.4 passing (13th), but only 17.1 points per game, which ranks 28th in the league.
“We have plenty of good stuff that we put on tape,” Robinson said. “Obviously, we talk to opposing coaches after games and we get intel from them. They give us some good feedback in terms of the difficulty that it can be to defend the scheme.”
Robinson understands where the criticism comes from.
“Now, again, if we have the results that we’ve had the last couple weeks, (scoring) 10 points, of course you’re going to be susceptible to the outside noise,” Robinson said. “So, we know we have a ton of different mixtures in the run game, pass game. We’ve got good compliments to everything that we do.”
So, no overhaul is forthcoming.
“Again, nothing has really changed from the times we’ve played well,” Robinson said. “It just so happens we’ve had a couple bad games that have kind of watered that down.”
The players concur with Robinson’s assessment.
“Execution,” All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom said when asked what’s wrong with the offense. “That’s the only thing with it. It doesn’t matter. Like the staff is putting us in the right position. We as players need to take ownership and execute. That’s it. It’s that simple with it.
“They’re putting us in the right position. They’re preparing us. But we’re not doing a good enough job.”
Left tackle Jake Matthews had a similar response. What’s wrong with the offense and how are you all going to fix it, Matthews was asked.
“Yeah, a valid question,” Matthews said. “It’s just a lack of execution, too many little things here and there that add up. You put the whole thing together, and it doesn’t look good.”
Falcons coach Raheem Morris said he told media members and owner Arthur Blank, in their weekly debriefing, that their problems were up front with the offensive line, which was purported to be the strongest unit on the team entering the season.
The Falcons said they have been misidentifying defensive fronts, not communicating the switches and allowing free runners to hit running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
“When we’re executing, he can have the space to make his plays, and he makes those plays,” Lindstrom said. “But then when we’re not executing … he’s not Superman. So, I mean (we have to do) our job so he can have …. same thing with Tyler, (quarterback Michael Penix Jr.) and (quarterback) Kirk (Cousins), with protection. If we’re not giving him time back there it doesn’t matter how open people are. So, it’s on us.”
Matthews is fine with the offensive line shouldering most of the blame for the downward turn on offense.
“I think we take a lot of pride in what we do,” said Matthews, who’s played the past two games with a high ankle sprain. “Part of the nature of the position is that, we do a lot of the dirty work. We’re expected to help get the offense going.”
Center Ryan Neuzil is in his first season starting, and Elijah Wilkinson has taken over at right tackle for Kaleb McGary, who was lost for the season to injury. Left guard Matthew Bergeron rounds out the offensive line.
“Everything starts … you hear that all the time, the game starts in the trenches,” Matthews said. “(Offensive) line and (defensive) line. If we’re playing physical up front, then, good things are going to happen.”
Penix (knee) and wide receiver Drake London (hip) missed the game Sunday with injuries.
“We need to give our guys, our skill players, opportunities to get out in space,” Matthews said. “They’re really good when we get into space.”
Neuzil and Penix helped to set up the blocking signals.
“We just got to echo it inside out, outside in,” Lindstrom said. “Make sure when the picture changes, that we’re on top of it. I don’t think we did a good enough job with that last week and with our unit. So, all of us just being better with that.”
NFL defensive coordinators now have 24 games of tape on Robinson. Some tendencies have been established. Robinson needs to have his counter moves and tendency breaking plays ready.
“So, our counterpunches are always going to be there,” Robinson said. “That’s been a staple since last season. We have all the answers that we need in terms of run and pass game, in terms of what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
Penix is hoping to return against the Patriots.
“I’d say it’s frustrating that we’re not putting points on the board,” Penix said. “‘I’m not frustrated in the offense and what’s going on because I know what we have. We just (must) execute. … It has nothing to do with anything on the outside. It’s got nothing to do with play-calls. It’s about us going out there and making it happen.”
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