When the Atlanta Falcons hired Zac Robinson to be their offensive coordinator, fans were elated. After hiring Raheem Morris to be their coach, knowing that Morris was bringing a trusted Sean McVay protege to Atlanta to run the offense was supposed to be incredibly promising after the Arthur Smith offensive fiasco.
Last season, things were off to a good start and there was even talk of the 39-year-old being the latest coach from the McVay tree to get a head coaching job. But this season, Robinson's first stint as a play-caller hasn't gone according to plan as he's been on the hot seat for the majority of the season.
After weeks of speculation, it's starting to look like he'll be fired after the season, as the offense has been one of the most inconsistent in football. Despite being equipped with an influx of talent, the Dirty Birds boast one of the lowest-scoring offenses in football, which still makes zero sense.
The Falcons hired the one Sean McVay disciple who's a massive flop
Just two years ago, Falcons fans were amped to land one of the brightest names in coaching circles, but now they want him fired. Both Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins have been just adequate this season, so retaining the 39-year-old beyond this season would be coaching malpractice from Morris.
Through 13 weeks, the Atlanta offense is averaging just 20.5 points per game, as only six teams are scoring less on a weekly basis. Those teams are the Vikings, Saints, Browns, Vikings, Titans, and Raiders, and none of those rosters come close to having the sheer offensive talent the Falcons do.
An offense with Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts has no business being this bad, and even when it looks good, it's in large part due to the elite talent rather than Robinson has done.
Penix showed flashes of being elite before going down earlier this season, so the fact that he's done that through piss-poor play-calling is exciting. The only problem is his injury history, but we've seen how better play-calling has helped fellow second-year QB's Caleb Williams and Drake Maye flourish.
Other McVay assistants have blossomed into elite head coaches, like Matt LaFleur, Kevin O'Connell, and Liam Coen, but the McVay effect isn't a guaranteed success. Coaches like Brandon Staley, Zac Taylor, and Morris are some of the failed experiments, while Robinson isn't helping those narratives.
Moreover, the second-year coach has continued his complacency by remaining loyal to Robinson amid those offensive struggles, and it could cost both of them their jobs. But for Morris, the only chance for him to save his job would be to sever ties with the offensive coordinator he hand-picked.