The Falcoholic
As the Falcons attempt to find clarity at kicker, the most common debate surrounding the team following their loss to Tampa Bay actually comes from a coaching standpoint. Zac Robinson drew the ire of many people for his predictable play designs, repetitive personnel usage, and conservative approach to the passing game. Some of it could be attributed to Darnell Mooney being sidelined, which limits the team’s ability to push the ball downfield. Mooney is a vertical threat who can create separation against man coverage and win at the catch point in contested situations.
Elijah Wilkinson’s first start replacing Kaleb McGary at right tackle must be acknowledged. Combining those adjustments with the challenge of facing Todd Bowles’ notorious ultra-aggressive blitzing style makes it understandable why Robinson opted to call mostly short to intermediate pass designs. It helped Michael Penix Jr. find a rhythm in the third quarter. That wasn’t enough to maximize an offense that needed more schematically to be more efficient.
Instead, the offense felt lethargic, where Tampa Bay’s defense anticipated several plays that neutralized any possibility of gaining yards, and in some instances, converting in pivotal short-yardage situations. Defenders were collapsing into running lanes as soon as Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier received the handoff. They were giving Drake London fits at will. More could have been done schematically to help the skill position players thrive. That’s what Zac Robinson has to dial in on going into a massive challenge against Minnesota.
The propensity to use 11 personnel will always be there for Robinson. It’s what Sean McVay’s offense was built on for numerous seasons during his time working under him in Los Angeles. The Rams normally had the personnel to be prolific in utilizing the same personnel in condensed formations, whether they used trips or other bunch concepts. They also had a tight end who could block as effectively as he caught passes in Tyler Higbee.
The Falcons don’t have that personnel, where Kyle Pitts is essentially a big wide receiver who can’t reliably block edge defenders. Look no further than his failure to block Haason Reddick on a 4th down attempt, where the Falcons simply were overpowered. The Falcons don’t use 12 personnel enough to hide Pitts’ deficiencies with Charlie Woerner handling the primary blocking duties.
Without Mooney, they don’t have the talent to run 11 personnel so frequently. Casey Washington playing 72 snaps is indicative of how attached Robinson is to his system. While Washington made some contributions, he didn’t insert himself as a consistent option for Penix Jr. Not using KhaDarel Hodge to spell Washington in his first career start was surprising and proved to be costly.
Hodge looked rusty in replacing Drake London following the star wide receiver’s shoulder injury. Playing occasional snaps earlier in the game could have helped him get into a game flow. Hodge’s knack for gaining yards after the catch and strong blocking would have been useful. Instead, he looked lost as a...
