The Falcons offense is off to a slow start, to say the least. Arthur Smith was hired for many different reasons, but the overarching theme of his employment was tied to his offensive prowess. Smith schemed and called a record-breaking offense in Tennessee predicated on establishing the run and then building the passing game off it. Smith’s hard-nosed coaching style became apparent early in his tenure with the Falcons, so to see his unit spin its tires is worrisome.
The Falcons offense has been one of the worst groups in the league in many categories. According to Pro Football Focus, the offense ranks 30th in EPA/play, 31st in EPA/run, and 29th in EPA/pass. Those are excruciatingly bad numbers. It gets worse from there too. Smith’s offense ranks dead last in DVOA.
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Smith’s offense in Tennessee was reliant on RAC yards on short to intermediate routes. Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage aren’t the possession receivers that A.J. Brown and Corey Davis are, but Kyle Pitts is just as dangerous after the catch as Jonnu Smith. It seems simple, but Smith must change his philosophy because Ridley will never be a possession receiver.
Ridley is a technical receiver who relies on route running and elite agility to get open. Smith has to recognize his players’ strengths and accentuate them. There aren’t many positives for this offense, but they have certainly improved in the red zone. Sure, you’d like the offense to be more efficient, but being the 17th ranked red zone offense (62.5% TD only) is better than a year ago.
Falcons fans are understandably upset about the team’s early-season struggles. Even though Arthur Smith got his first win as a head coach, his offense has to evolve if the Falcons are to make any noise this year.
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