Morale seems to be at an all-time low around Flowery Branch. Press conference quotes reveal a team in turmoil that’s struggling to find its way out of the storm.
Are the Atlanta Falcons too far gone, and
is this season worth saving? Let’s discuss this week’s biggest question.
A barrage of quotes and misquotes
Social media was set ablaze with Michael Penix quotes, and everyone seemed to leave with their own interpretation. One thing was clear: the quarterback sounded defeated and was no longer speaking with the confidence fans had heard in the preseason. Raheem Morris recited his mantras: execute, find a way, etc., and continues to stretch statements further than he should. “Less is more” should be the message from the Falcons PR team.
Everything is hyper-analyzed in this league, and it’s a lesson Penix will need to learn quickly as a starting quarterback. Fair or unfair quotes will be held against players and used to challenge their character or love for the game. This team can’t get caught up in their quotes; action is the only thing that will change this season’s outcome. Atlanta is cooked if their press conferences keep churning out viral clips.
Following in Lake’s Footsteps
It was around this time last year that Morris took the keys from Jimmy Lake to call the defense temporarily. There was a noticeable difference; talent was still an issue, but the defense looked functional until Lake was allowed to prove he could do the job again. He failed miserably. Zac Robinson’s offense is anchoring this team the same way Jimmy Lake’s 2024 defense did, but there is no relief pitcher on this coaching staff for him, and a lack of talent is not an issue.
Something that fans may have overlooked during the Ike Hilliard firing was that he was the only other person on staff who had been an OC and playcaller. Seems like an odd decision to let someone like that leave when your current coordinator is only in his second year. Since Hilliard’s firing, only 16 passes have been caught by receivers not named Drake London; that number was 15 in Hilliard’s three games (Mooney missed week 1).
The offense’s biggest struggle in 2024 was its inability to get into the endzone, which hasn’t changed in a year. The most questionable part of the scheme, a lack of play action, also remains unchanged. The most damning thing that can be said about Robinson is that he has not grown in any meaningful way since he was hired.
Innovators thrive in this league, but those who are slow to adapt are not long for it. It’s unlikely we’ll see a dramatic shift in philosophy at the halfway point, but Robinson will have to figure out how to salvage his young quarterback’s season and his own coaching career.
What’s left?
The Falcons are 3-6. Last year, they were 6-3 at this point, and we all know how that ended. We have no idea what could happen in the back half of this schedule, but we all want to see the same thing: competent football and progression from the young talent; record is irrelevant. That’s not to say winning shouldn’t be the goal, but the Falcons need to figure out what they have at quarterback and elsewhere on this roster first and foremost.
We’re all sick of hearing it, but the remaining schedule will allow them to prove they have the right pieces in place moving forward. That will dictate the quality of future coaching prospects and give decision-makers more insight into what the problem really is. Many want to throw the season in the trash, but we still have a lot to learn about this roster, and that’s where the focus should be.
Is this team too far gone? If you had hopes of them being a competitive, frisky playoff team, yes, but that doesn’t mean the season is over or that the games don’t matter. The back half of this season will have significant implications for the team’s future.
