Three Key Issues the Atlanta Falcons Offense Must Resolve

“One, gotta get Bijan the ball more, okay? 18 touches for that player is not good enough,” Orlovsky said on Wednesday’s edition of NFL Live. “2.5 yards per carry is not good enough. So, that’s gotta develop.”

Both Robinson and Tyler Allgeier struggled to get anything going on Sunday. The running back duo is among the league’s best, but they only accounted for a combined 48 yards rushing against Tampa. However, Robinson did lead the team in receiving, with 50 of his 100 yards coming on the team’s third play from scrimmage. 

It’s still only a single-game sample size, but to Orlovsky’s point, the Falcons have to do better at getting him the ball. Last season, Robinson averaged nearly four more touches per game and this offense relies on his ability to make plays in space. 

“Two, this team, offensively, wants to get the ball to the perimeter,” Orlovsky continued. “If you’re going to do that, you’ve gotta block better on the perimeter. That’s a huge part.” 

This is an extremely important facet to an effective Zac Robinson offense. The Falcons missed several opportunities to break plays due to some ineffective blocking on the perimeter. One perfect example is a failed screen play to Drake London where Ray-Ray McCloud failed to make his block. If he gets there, the play can spring open and the Falcons would have likely converted an important third down or even created an explosive. 

“Three, Michael Penix has got to be more than a timing thrower,” Orlovsky finished. “He did what he was asked to do in their offense, but he’s not just a throw the eight-yard out type of quarterback. They’ve got to build things in and give him the opportunity to launch the ball downfield to some of their playmakers.”

The Falcons’ quarterback put together a strong day on Sunday and nearly willed his team back to win this game. He led a pair of game-altering drives in the fourth quarter, but ultimately came up short in the end after a failed kick from Younghoe Koo. 

Orlovsky’s point is well received because the Falcons offense was not throwing the ball down the field like many expected them to. Atlanta leaned heavily on their short passing game on Sunday. Penix completed 23-of-30 pass attempts under 10 air yards for 234 yards and a touchdown, compared to being 4-of-12 for 64 yards on longer passes. 

That is unusual when you compare Sunday to his three starts last season where he averaged 10.5 air yards per attempt (would have been second among qualified quarterbacks). In the small sample size, Penix attempted a downfield pass of 10 or more yards on 47.6% of his throws (highest in the league). 

A lot of that likely had to do with the absence of deep threat Darnell Mooney, worries about the right side of the offensive line, or the eventual injury to Drake London. Still, the Falcons have another level they can reach with Penix’s arm talent. It will be interesting to see how they utilize it moving forward. 

The next test for this Falcons offense will be a big one, with the Brian Flores and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.