Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was pleased with his unit’s performance against the Cardinals on Sunday.
The offense started fast, hit a lull, then rallied from a 17-point deficit before the Falcons lost 34-33.
“It was good to get off to a fast start,” Koetter said. “We needed to maintain it better. We went through a little bit of a lull there in the first half between some penalties and some self-inflicted errors, we hurt ourselves in the middle of the first half, but then the first drive, that was excellent to get off to a fast start and then the second half we had it rolling pretty good.”
Running back Devonta Freeman had his best game of the season, while wide receiver Julio Jones and tight end Austin Hooper were difficult to stop.
“Free had a really nice game,” Koetter said. “He ran hard. He ran through arm tackles. He was, of course, a threat in the passing game. He did a good job in pass protection. We have no complaints about the way he played.”
Freeman rushed 19 times for 88 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards and two touchdowns.
Hooper is having a spectacular start to the season, and he caught eight passes for 117 yards and a touchdown Sunday.
With 42 catches this season, Hooper is on pace to catch 112 passes.
“Well, I just think Hooper has been extremely consistent in his level of play,” Koetter said. “I feel like for the third week in row after the game and after we’ve watched the tape, I’ve felt like Hooper has played his best game. I’m saying that to myself and to the other coaches the last three weeks.”
Hooper has received his touches in the flow of the offense.
“It’s really not that we’re seeing a mismatch, but he’s in the right place at the right time,” Koetter said. “Matt is hitting him a lot as a check-down, and then he’s also hitting him sometimes as a primary receiver. Hoop is getting himself open. He has a good feel versus man and versus zone. He’s taking advantage of his opportunities.”
Hooper also has benefited from teams double-covering Jones.
“If you noticed in this game, we had Julio going down the field and Hooper crossing the field underneath that,” Koetter said. “He made some nice plays, including the touchdown, on that type of route concept.”
The Falcons don’t plan to ease up on using Hooper.
“I think we’d be crazy not to design some stuff for Hooper,” Koetter said. “We also have Julio. We also have (Calvin) Ridley and Mohamed (Sanu) and Free, but for sure, we are trying to work as much stuff in there for Hoop as we can.”
The first-half lull can be traced to a left guard James Carpenter’s holding penalty and a delay-of-game penalty that stalled the second possession.
On the third possession, left guard Wes Schweitzer, who was in for Carpenter, and right guard Jamon Brown were beaten by Cardinals defensive tackles Corey Peters and Rodney Gunter, who both sacked Ryan. Matt Bryant made a 29-yard field on the fourth possession, which included fullback Keith Smith picking up a first down on a third-and-1 from the 16.
“We went with the old-fashioned fullback belly play,” Koetter said. “We got a really good push up front. Alex Mack and Jamon Brown at the point of attack, got really good movement on the right side there. Keith hit it in there.
“That’s a play that’s been around a long time and (tight ends) coach (Mike) Mularkey broke it back out in our short-yardage package this week, and it served its purpose. It got that first down.”
The Falcons scored on four of their five second-half possessions to nearly pull out the victory.
With the score tied, they had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but they couldn’t convert a third-and-10 play.
“Matt was looking at a receiver and one off our guys got a little too deep in his route and he had to hold the ball and they got us from around the edge,” Koetter said of the combined sack by Terrell Suggs and Chandler Jones.
“That was the only time the whole second half they were able to stop us. But that would have been a good time for us to go down and take the lead, but we weren’t able to do it.”
Koetter said that rookie right tackle Kaleb McGary, despite the Jones-Suggs sack, is continuing to improve.
“We have to keep hammering away,” Koetter said. “We are playing better the last two weeks on offense. I still think we have room to continue to improve, and that’s all we can do is keep hammering away, and sooner or later, we’re going to get a breakthrough here.”
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