Only the Atlanta Falcons can follow up consecutive victories with back-to-back losses while being held to just 10 points in both contests. The offensive inconsistency has been stark under Raheem Morris and Zac Robinson, and the Week 8 loss to the Dolphins was no different.
The 34-10 defeat marked the Dirty Birds' second-most embarrassing defeat of the season, and the offense enjoyed another dismal performance. Kirk Cousins looked terrible starting in place of Michael Penix Jr., and teams are beginning to adjust to combat Zac Robinson's run-heavy scheme.
Without Penix and Drake London, the offense looked arguably worse than it did in Carolina—and this occurred against another one of the NFL's worst defenses. Fans have started to turn on Robinson and Raheem Morris, and after that disasterclass, it's not particularly hard to see why.
Falcons' dry spell confirms that Zac Robinson has go to go
For a coach that comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree, the 39-year-old hasn't taken enough of those lessons with him to Atlanta. Even without London, there is no excuse for an offense with this much talent to be held to three points until garbage time.
Entering Sunday, the Falcons ranked seventh in the NFL in total yards per game, yet were averaging just 18.8 points per game—good for 28th in the league. The red zone woes and failure to cap off long drives have been a problem for weeks, but now it's becoming impossible to ignore.
His move to the sidelines quickly paid dividends, but has failed to recapture that same effect in Weeks 7 and 8. The Dolphins' vulnerable run defense kept Bijan Robinson in check while holding Atlanta to a season-low 211 total yards—and San Francisco slowed down the run game last week.
Moreover, his decision to run the offense out of the pistol has been met with constant controversy. Penix's sheer arm strength already has him among the best play-action QB's in the NFL, and Robinson's play-calling is limiting his effectiveness in that area.
Against the Phins, Penix was clearly missed, as Cousins could not connect with anyone not named Kyle Pitts. He was held to just 173 passing yards, and Robinson's ineptitude could be the reason the veteran struggled and likely diminished his trade value.
Falcons fans have been known to turn on coordinators quickly, and like a former Atlanta OC in Steve Sarkisian, Robinson could benefit from a transition to the college level as Oklahoma State continues to pursue him. Either way, the second-year OC has found himself on the hot seat after another weak performance.