The Falcons didn’t lose because of a missed extra point… They lost because their offense once again fell apart when it mattered most. On paper, the numbers don’t look disastrous: 288 total yards. 23 points. 3-for-3 in the red zone.
But context matters, and this one’s brutal. New England converted eight of its 12 third downs, four of them from 3rd-and-7 or longer. The Falcons? 1-for-10 on third down.
Head coach Raheem Morris summed it up simply after the loss: “Got to find a way to move the chains on third down, maintain possessions… that’s part of the keys to victory. We weren’t able to do that.”
Morris didn’t name names, but the problem points directly at offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, whose “modern” scheme has yet to translate into consistent production.
Michael Penix Jr. deserves better than what Zac Robinson has provided him
In theory, Robinson’s Rams-style system was supposed to unlock Atlanta’s young stars. In practice, it’s done the opposite, because he's the one Sean McVay disciple who can't unlock talent if it was staring him in the face.
The play-calling has become predictable, the situational awareness baffling. In fact, on third downs, the Falcons have converted just 25% over their last three games.
Robinson continues to lean heavily on pistol and spread looks, often pulling Bijan Robinson out of the backfield entirely. Cause of that Bijan, a generational running talent, finished Sunday with just 12 carries.
Yes, he caught eight passes for 50 yards, but when your best player is catching checkdowns while your quarterback faces third and long, you’re not setting yourself up for success.
The sad thing is that Michael Penix Jr. played one of the best games of his career, throwing 221 yards and three touchdowns for an 89.6 QBR that’s the third best in Week 9 (through Sunday's games) behind only Sam Darnold (97.8) and Lamar Jackson (92).
Drake London also had a monster game with 118 yards and three touchdowns, tying a 30-year franchise record as the QB1-WR1 connection showed some serious signs of promise.
However, Zac Robinson’s playcalling and inability to sustain drives limited it. Penix isn’t the problem. He has to endure the problem every single day.
When your defense sacks Drake Maye six times and forces two turnovers, and your offense looks electric, you can’t afford to lose games. This was a more than winnable road game against a good Patriots team.
So behind the scenes, the patience is wearing thin. Cause Atlanta is now 0-4 when rushing for fewer than 100 yards. And if another offensive collapse happens next week against the Colts in Berlin, the Falcons might have no choice but to make a hard call and fire Zac Robinson.