On the hot seat: Zac Robinson’s Falcons offense needs to score points
FLOWERY BRANCH — Maybe it was former wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard’s idea not to play the Falcons starters in the exhibition season and that’s why he was fired.
Whoever came up with the notion not to use regular starters in the exhibition games in August might deserve to be fired.
The operational problems the Falcons are having could have been worked out in those games. But no, we all had to sit through and watch the backups, practice-squad players and players who now are free agents.
Because the Falcons waited until the regular season to work out things, the offense has looked sloppy at times. That’s why Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will be in the hot seat when the Falcons (1-2) face the Commanders (2-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons certainly could have figured out how to get the plays called in a timely manner. Could have wasted timeouts in games that didn’t matter and worked on the continuity that they say is lacking.
The notion of mitigating injuries was cited as the reason not to risk the starters.
But the starters clearly needed the work, and it’s not like this was an accomplished playoff team. The Falcons have posted seven consecutive losing seasons. They needed to use every opportunity at their disposal to get ready for the regular-season games.
Now, they are trying to fix things on the fly.
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
