On the hot seat: Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian
It didn’t take long for the coaching wing of the fan base to turn on Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
He last coached in the NFL in 2004 and figured to have some adjustment issues in his first season as an NFL coordinator, but a jet sweep on the goal line was tough to swallow.
Thus we have a petition on social media calling for his dismissal after only six games. Some are even asking why quarterback coach Mike LeFleur was not promoted and allowed to leave for the Los Angeles Rams.
The offense that averaged 33.8 points and scored 540 points last season is averaging a pedestrian 21.3 points and went 90 minutes, 21 seconds without scoring a point.
Coach Dan Quinn put in additional practice sessions for third-down situations and for more work in the red zone.
“The best way that I can help is by showing how some of the defenses are playing,” Quinn said. “That’s where my expertise is and where a defender may be in coverage or what they may do in a certain situation. Or, this gives that coverege a lot of trouble. Or, this gives that pressure a lot of difficulty and how do we get those matches. That’s how I’m trying to lead.”
Both solutions are rather simple, get the ball to the running backs and the tight end on third down. Teams have caught on to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. In the red zone, force-feed Julio Jones and run routes off of him.
Sarkisian didn’t learn the Super Bowl LI lesson of running it in short-yardage situations. The Falcons have gone with finesse or gimmicky runs or passes in short-yardage situations, attempting to fool defenses.
Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub said they have power formations in the playbook, but they haven’t used them very often.
“We have that up every week,” Ryan said of the power package. “Some times it’s an advantage for us. Sometimes it’s not depending on who you are going against.”
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.
