The Falcoholic
The dismissal of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver coach Ike Hilliard is considered by many to be a head-scratcher. However, Hilliard’s dismissal stems directly from the cause of the Falcons’ current offensive struggles: their declining wide receiver play. Hilliard may still be a scapegoat, mainly because it’s debatable whether his replacement, T.J. Yates, is the right pick to improve the play of this wide receiver group.
Yet the Falcons have suffered a complete offensive failure in the first three weeks of the 2025 season. Despite much ado about how the team chooses to align quarterback Michael Penix, the root of that failure lies in the wide receivers not performing in a passing attack catalyzed by the position group.
Both explosiveness and efficiency have disappeared from an offense that had an abundance of both in 2024. That has little to do with the team’s usage of the pistol or any formation, given that Atlanta’s usage is virtually identical to what it was last year once Penix took over. The offense hasn’t changed structurally, but the performance has.
Darnell Mooney was the driving force behind the team’s explosiveness last year. His 21 receptions of 20-plus yards last year ranked second among NFL wide receivers. Mooney has one such reception in his two appearances this year, which came as a meaningless play as time expired at the end of the first half last week in Atlanta’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, running back Bijan Robinson is currently the team’s most explosive pass-catcher, with three explosive plays.
That has led to the team’s big-play ability dropping off a cliff to start the 2025 season. In Penix’s three starts in 2024, the team generated 11 explosive passes of 20 yards or more, ranking third in the NFL during that span. 10 of which were produced by wide receivers, with Mooney and Drake London producing eight combined. However, that has dropped to just six explosive plays through the first three games in 2025, with only half provided by the wide receivers and one each for Mooney and London.
The team’s efficiency on third downs and in the red zone has also dipped dramatically. In 2024, when Mooney or London were targeted on third downs, the Falcons converted them into first downs at a 46 percent rate. That matched the sixth-ranked third-down offense in 2024, as seen in the Washington Commanders. However, when both receivers have been targeted in 2025, they only convert 29 percent of the time, which is equal to 2024’s worst third-down offense, the Cleveland Browns.
London was also the team’s primary red-zone threat in 2024, accounting for over 40 percent of the team’s throws in that area. When targeted, London scored about 25 percent of the time, a significant uptick from the 15 percent red-zone conversion rate when targeting any other receiver. Unfortunately, London has been a non-factor thus far in the red zone in 2025....
