The Falcons are 1-2 through the first three weeks, but it certainly doesn’t feel like the sky is falling like it has in recent years.
Following a stinker in Week 1 against the Steelers, Atlanta followed it up with an improbable come from behind victory on Monday Night Football over the Eagles and then gave the two-time defending Super Bowl champions everything they could handle in Week 3.
This is a group with a lot of new faces that has already proved they can hang with the best teams in the league. However, improvement is a must if they want to reach the postseason for the first time since 2017.
Among all of the new faces is first-time offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. The former Rams quarterbacks coach chose to follow Raheem Morris to Atlanta, despite every team with an OC opening courting him. Given the Shanahan and McVay coaching tree that Robinson hails from, there were high expectations coming into the season that he would be able to maximize the potential of Kirk Cousins, Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts.
To say Zac Robinsons failed to live up to those expectations in Week 1 would be an understatement. His gameplan was pitiful in every aspect, allowing T.J. Watt to wreck the game and being way too predictable. There was no play-action, a staple of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay offenses, and Kirk Cousins didn’t take a single snap under center, as the Falcons were shutout in the second half.
It looked as if we might have been sold a fake bill of goods, but Zac Robinson heard the noise going into Week 2, as the Falcons came out with an entirely different game plan. They were able to gouge the Eagles with their rushing attack and featured a lot more play-action. However, they still only scored 20 points, and if it weren’t for a dropped pass by Saquon Barkley and a perfect touchdown drive to end the game orchestrated by Kirk Cousins, it would have been even worse.
Week three was, again, a little better. The Falcons started the game off against the Chiefs with a perfectly executed touchdown drive, but they really struggled running the ball and didn’t capitalize on their opportunities in the red zone late in the game.
That’s been the primary issue with Robinson’s offense through three weeks. Situationally, this group has to be far better on third downs and in the red zone. Atlanta ranks 29th in third-down conversion rate, successfully converting just 22.2% of the time. They are also only scoring touchdowns on 44.4% of their red zone trips, 22nd in the league.
With that being said, Zac Robinson and company haven’t exactly had the easiest go of it. The Eagles defense has its holes, but the Steelers might feature the best defense in football, and the Chiefs aren’t far behind. This is a group with a lot of new pieces; it was always going to take some time to gel. With each passing week, they’ve taken a baby step forward, but improvement is not always linear in this league. Eventually, the Falcons offense is going to need to make a jump if they want to get where they are trying to go this season.
Zac Robinson Grade: C
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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