The NFL is a young man’s game. Once players hit 30 years old, there’s a precipitous drop off in production. Of course, there are a few exceptions, most notably Tom Brady, but it’s generally a young man’s game, and that goes for more than just the players too.
Everyone’s looking for the next Sean McVay, and most of the time, all a club has to do is hire his offensive coordinator, most notably, Kevin O’Connell, who has been the best underling to branch out for himself.
The Falcons actually went to that same well, except it was McVay’s defensive coordinator, Raheem Morris. Atlanta’s new head coach didn’t waste time plucking from McVay’s staff, though.
The hottest offensive coordinator candidate of the hiring cycle last offseason was Zac Robinson, and Morris was able to use his connection from Los Angeles to bring him to Atlanta. Even though the Falcons’ offense spun its wheels at times this season, The Athletic still recognizes Robinson as one of the league’s top 50 figures under the age of 40.
“Robinson was hand-selected by Falcons coach Raheem Morris for his attention to detail and work with quarterbacks and running backs in L.A. (Robinson helped revive Baker Mayfield’s career in his brief stint with the Rams in 2022, and worked with Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams to overhaul the L.A. run game in 2023). His challenge in 2024? Coach and scheme for two quarterbacks at once, as veteran Kirk Cousins physically declined and rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. ascended. The Falcons underwhelmed last season in part because Cousins hit a wall, but people around the league believe the future partnership between Robinson and Penix is very bright.”
Overall, Robinson’s first year as a play caller was good. The Falcons ranked 14th in points per game (22.9) and sixth in yards per game (369.8), but there are areas in which he can improve, most notably on third downs and in the red zone.
The Falcons offense was average in converting third downs, ranking 16th in the league, converting on 39.23% of third downs. But they were worse in turning red zone trips into touchdowns, ranking 20th with only 54.72% of trips resulting in a touchdown. Nevertheless, the expectations are sky-high for Zac Robinson and Raheem Morris in 2025.
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