Big Expectations for Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons Offense in Year 2

Zac Robinson was hired as the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator prior to the start of the 2024 season. He came from the Los Angeles Rams and hails from the Sean McVay coaching tree. It was his first year as an offensive coordinator and play caller in the NFL, and the early returns were good. 

“A lot of guys had career years last year,” head coach Raheem Morris answered when asked about Robinson.

The Falcons finished sixth in the NFL in total yards last season. Drake London, Ray-Ray McCloud, and Bijan Robinson each established career highs in yards, while Darnell Mooney experienced a revival that saw him double his yardage from his previous two seasons with the Chicago Bears. 

However, that does not mean there is not room to grow.

“The longer you work in this business, that’s just what you do,” said Morris on looking towards year two. “You sit back and you evaluate yourself, all those different things, but you figure out what can make you better. You figure out how you can run the ball better, more efficiently. How do you get Tyler Allgeier more involved? How do you get Bijan Robinson more involved?”

Efficiency seems to be the key here. Despite Robinson accumulating over 1400 rushing yards, he averaged just 4.8 yards per carry. Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Jahmyr Gibbs all averaged well over 5.0 yards per carry, with Henry and Barkley near 6.0 ypc.

Despite finishing sixth in total yards, the Falcons finished 13th in points per game. Red zone scoring, including the league’s worst field goal percentage, played a part here.  

Morris made it clear that he wants to see some more of Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier had 50 fewer carries and one fewer touchdown in 2024 as opposed to his 2023 campaign. However, he was far more efficient, averaging 1.0 more yards per carry. In 2025, Robinson needs to be more creative with how he uses his running back tandem. 

Another aspect of his play calling that Robinson needs to evaluate is his usage of screens. Last season, he would overuse screens, most of which amounted to very minimal gains. To be fair, Kirk Cousins was the main engineer of the screen plays, and his lack of mobility and downfield arm strength necessitated more use of the short passing plays. 

Per PFF, on screen passes thrown by Cousins, the Atlanta Falcons only gained 203 yards. The only quarterbacks with fewer screen yards that played at least 50% of their teams’ snaps were Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young, Russell Wilson, and Will Levis. Robinson needs to find a way to be more efficient with his screens. 

Finishing sixth in total yards in a year that included a mid-season collapse and quarterback change is no small feat. Robinson’s first year calling plays can be considered a success. He has a new weapon at quarterback in the strong-armed Michael Penix Jr. and a team familiar with his system.

Expectations are high for Robinson in his sophomore campaign, and the Falcons’ season is riding on him and his offense executing on a high level while the young defense finds its feet.