5 winners (and 4 losers) for Falcons through the first half of season

Winner: Zac Robinson, OC

Again, sitting here talking about Zac Robinson as a winner makes Week 1 feel like years ago. After a rough debut calling plays, the former quarterback has got his offense rolling.

The Falcons go into Week 9 ranked third in passing yards and 11th in total touchdowns. Surely, Robinson hopes to get more production on the ground but most of the average rushing stats has to do with him going with what is working.

You also have to give him credit for how he has handled the two elite running backs at his disposal. He understands the concept of rolling with the hot hand and it is fun to watch.

Loser: Jimmy Lake, DC

Jimmy Lake's defense has not been good. After starting out the season with some impressive performances, things have been on a sharp decline since.

Every week it feels like the playcalling on defense is limited to a few concepts. His situational awareness has been lacking (like calling Tampa-2 against Seattle with ten seconds in the half) and his blitzes never work.

The defense has relied on their star players to make plays. It has often been death by a thousand cuts as teams go on 10-15 play drives that end in the endzone. This defensive unit relies on its stars rather than playing fundamental football.