As Falcons offense sputters, Raheem Morris has a problem on his hands

After three games, Falcons coach Raheem Morris has a problem on his hands. The offense that was supposed to dazzle the NFL with its array of playmakers can barely get out of its own way.

The Falcons needlessly burn timeouts because of play-calling communication problems. They can’t score in the red zone. The passing game has produced one touchdown, fewest in the NFL. By one metric tabulated by Pro Football Reference — points per drive — the Falcons have the second least-efficient offense in the NFL at 1.31 points per possession. This is a unit with five first-round picks in the lineup. Last week, Morris called one of them, running back Bijan Robinson, the best player in the NFL.

The Falcons’ humiliating 30-0 loss to Carolina on Sunday was without question a team effort. Special teams couldn’t field kickoffs cleanly and missed two field-goal attempts. The defense gave way in the run game.

But, ultimately, it was on the offense and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s unit was responsible for 23 points (not counting the pick-six touchdown scored by the Panthers defense), held Carolina to 3-for-11 on third downs and gave up 4.1 yards per play. And the final 13 of those points were scored on drives that started inside Falcons territory. A turnover and more than one sack or three quarterback hits would have been helpful, but it would be hard to call it a losing performance, especially given that it was a road game.

Allowing 4.1 yards per play is standout work. Between 2022 and 2024, teams that averaged between 4.0 and 4.2 yards per play — as Carolina did against the Falcons — won only 33% of the time, according to Stathead.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was off his game Sunday, missing targets and making poor decisions on where to go with the ball. His attempted pass to Bijan Robinson that turned into the backbreaking pick-six touchdown early in the third quarter was inexcusable. But Zac Robinson also came up short in settling his quarterback and helping an offense with plenty of weapons find a groove.

And that’s where Morris’ problem lies. It would be tempting to just chalk it up to small sample size and trust that the offense will find its rhythm. And it may.

But consider this: Between 2022 and 2024, 44 teams had three-game stretches in which they — like the Falcons — averaged 5.1 yards per play or fewer and scored 42 points or fewer, according to Stathead. Of the 44, only seven withstood that poor run of play to make the playoffs. None won more than 10 games. Maybe it’s not as small a sample as the Falcons probably would like to think.

Worse, it’s not like they can point to injuries. The offense’s key skill-position players — Penix, Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and, if you want to call him a key piece, tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. — have been healthy. No. 2 wide receiver Darnell Mooney missed one game.

The season-ending leg injury to right tackle Kaleb McGary undoubtedly has an impact, as does the ankle injury to backup tackle Storm Norton. But the Falcons aren’t getting McGary back, and it’s difficult to say that Norton will be a difference-making upgrade if he returns, so it’s not as if they can count on a rebound there.

Barring changes, this may be what the Falcons offense is.

A week ago, the failure to get into the end zone in the first four red-zone trips was chalked up to execution. On Sunday, Penix gave the same explanation for his lacking play both in the loss and for the season.

“That’s all it is,” he said. “Execution.”

Although two games do not form much of a pattern, eventually, it becomes an identity.

Morris surely wants to avoid the most drastic solutions, either to replace Penix as the starter with Kirk Cousins or to take away Zac Robinson’s coordinating duties. The former would create major upheaval; the latter is rarely done in-season. Further, there’s not an obvious replacement for Robinson on the staff. Only one assistant coach, senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese, has been an NFL offensive coordinator, and that was for one season nine years ago.

On the other hand, it’s entirely possible Cousins, when healthy, is the better quarterback. And how much runway should Morris give to Robinson, who had never been a coordinator at any level before last year?