Atlanta Falcons offense continues to lacks major efficiency and creativity

The Atlanta Falcons ended the decade with a victory in stunning fashion on a walk-off defensive pick-six. However, their offensive efficiency and creativity are still severely lacking.

The Atlanta Falcons offense continued to be underwhelming in their final game of the 2019 season. The team still seems to lack an offensive identity heading into the offseason.

The Falcons recorded 373 total yards of offense in their final game of the first decade of the 2010s. Once again and sight far too familiar in 2019, they were not able to generate anything in the run game with only 87 total yards.

The offensive inefficiency has to fall on offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. He continues to lack creativity, fails to make necessary adjustments against various defensive looks.

Matt Ryan is still doing straight dropback moves as opposed to rollouts and different pocket movement. Koetter is still calling plays from the 1980s.

The most creative play he has called all season was a successful gimmick 35-yard touchdown pass to offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo on the opening drive of the season-ending victory over Tampa Bay. This is the type of innovativeness that Atlanta Falcons fans have been waiting for all season.

Koetter is obviously not the answer moving forward. He lacks a creative mind that can find ways to help utilize all of the weapons the Atlanta Falcons have. He is not able to adjust to players’ strengths and weaknesses.

This offense desperately requires an infusion of physicality. They play with too much finesse and are too soft.

The running game should set up the passing game. This has rarely happened all season. As a result, Ryan has been forced to play catchup and throw more than required, in order to run a successful west coast zone-blocking scheme offense.

The offensive play-calling has been terrible all year. Devonta Freeman has lost a step and is not capable of being the feature back moving forward. Yet, Koetter continued to use him as such throughout the season.

Head coach Dan Quinn will hopefully come to his senses and have a revelation during the offseason. He watches every offensive play of the entire season on film for evaluation purposes. He has claimed that he has made mistakes this season, but it has been an invaluable learning experience for him.

If this is true, then he needs to apply what he has learned towards improving the team on both sides of the ball, while at the same time have a realistic and fresh approach.

Whether he makes the impartial decision on his own or consults with general manager Thomas Dimitroff and owner Arthur Blank, they must come to the conclusion that moving forward Dirk Koetter should be given his walking papers.