FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — I hope everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving holiday and spent their time with family eating lots of tasty food and watching plenty of football.
The Falcons, meanwhile, have been hard at work preparing for another tough matchup on Sunday (What ever happened to that easy schedule, huh?). There were quite a few moves on the team's injury report Thursday, which is worth looking at if you haven't already.
Today's mailbox features a trio of questions that I felt touched on some of the key issues for this team heading into its first game after the bye week. If you'd like to submit a question for future editions, you may do so here.
Let's get to it!
John D. from Marietta
One of the biggest changes that has to happen is the plethora of penalties on this team! I've watched most games this year finding many successful drives ended by penalty. It has to be a morale buster for the team, especially the red zone miscues. Maybe fine or bench players for stupid infractions that steal control of the game?
You're completely right, John. The offensive penalties do need to change. And I specifically say offense because when you look at the breakdown of when the penalties take place, it's skewed to that side of the ball.
The Falcons have committed 65 penalties this season, the eighth fewest in the league. However, 40 of those penalties have been committed by the offense, which is 13th-m0st among NFL teams. Defensively, they have the second-fewest penalties through 12 weeks.
As you noted, the miscues near the red zone have been particularly impactful. I filtered on TruMedia for penalties that take place in the red zone or at the goal line, and the Falcons have committed 10 so far this season, the seventh-most. That's one of the key factors holding Atlanta's offense back. They rank ninth in yards per play this season, so they are moving the ball well, but they are right in the middle of the pack in points per game. Here's what Raheem Morris had to say about how they are approaching getting the offensive penalties sorted out:
"When you're talking about getting into the red zone and really being conscious of [committing penalties]. If you increase the consciousness of it, the guys will go out there and absolutely be able to recognize those moments when they come up and not get the unnecessary holding calls. Some of it's technique stuff, getting up too early, getting too fast, timing, things of that nature. Eliminate some of the excitement. The discipline that's required in order not to get penalties is another part that's really important to it."
Michael K. from Macon
I have been a Falcons fan since 1972. I have seen many years with this team, but my question is why are the first 15 plays of every game Bijan left Bijan right? Can we alternate please to the other members. Unfortunately, it seems as though Pitts is not being used to his full capacity. Thank you, I want you to know that I'm not trying to be critical — I've enjoyed Falcons football for a long time.
Firstly, thank you for your longstanding dedication through the highs and the lows, Michael. You're a real one.
Your question is one that got me curious to look back through some of the game scripts, because I haven't picked up on the same usage patterns that you have. This is exactly the type of self-scouting a team might employ during the bye week, though, so I figured it might be fun to do our own smaller version.
I looked at the first 15 plays in each of the Falcons' last five games, and here's how the allotment of touches broke down.
| Opponent | Run to Robinson | Run to Allgeier | Pass to Drake London | Pass to Darnell Mooney | Pass to Kyle Pitts | Pass to Bijan Robinson | Pass to Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| New Orleans | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Dallas | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Tampa Bay | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Seattle | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Is Bijan Robinson pretty well involved? Yes, he certainly is. But it's not to an overwhelming degree, at least to the point where another team would sell out to stop that one element. He's arguably Atlanta's most dynamic offensive player and someone the team wants to get the ball into the hands of, so I wouldn't expect that mix to change all that much.
However, I would like to see Kyle Pitts get a little more usage. We'll see if that changes at all after the bye week.
JC D. from Savannah
I get sick when I hear people ask who is our next edge rusher? Lawrence Taylor was a weak-side linebacker but with great linemen and great fellow linebackers. His success was a team effort. I still think we need more muscle on the line and better linebackers, in general, before anything improves. It is a team game. Thoughts?
Couldn't agree with you more, JC. When you look around the league, it's more common to see a defense with multiple players who generate pressure than a team who has one double-digit sack getter and nobody else. That's because pass rushers not only have to rely on one another, but they are dependent on the coverage holding up for long enough.
There's one quote from Raheem Morris' Monday press conference that has been swirling around in my mind all week.
"And the best form of example is just look at our history of football, right, and how the game goes," Morris said. "Who are those top teams right now and what did they do over the last three years and what it looks like in that path and finding ways to make that path mimic that so we can become those teams, right? And that's how I always look at it, right? And you talk about the Detroit Lions, you know, three years ago. Where were they at on defense, offense, special teams?"
This offseason, the team's priority was cementing the quarterback position and, by extension, elevating the offensive talent they'd invested in over the previous three years. They accomplished that, but it didn't leave many remaining resources to immediately address the pass rush. You can mention the draft, it has been well reported Atlanta attempted to get back into the first round for a pass rusher and did load up on defenders after Round 1.
My point is that repositioning a team can sometimes take time. The Lions, to use Morris' example, were not these Lions in 2021 — Dan Campbell's first year. In fact, they finished with the third-fewest sacks in the league in Year 1 under Campbell. Through 12 games this year, they've already matched their sack total from 2021. I'd expect the Falcons to lean defense this offseason, and the coaches will have a better idea of exactly the players they need.
A strong finish to the season from Atlanta's pass rush would go a long way into buying the staff a little bit of patience for that process, though. There's no doubt they need to pick it up.
Thank you all for today's questions! If I didn't get to yours today, it may be selected in future editions of The Mailbox. The next one will be published Tuesday morning, when Tori will answer your questions.
If you'd like to submit a question for a future mailbag, *you may do so here*.
