Nate H. from Brooklyn, N.Y. Do the Falcons need to jump-start their run recreation?
How can the Falcons get their running game out of the doldrums? They used a fullback in the past. Why did they get away from that, and if they bring a fullback back, do you think it would jump start the run game?
I think doldrums are a little bit harsh, Nate, but I take your point. This isn’t close to the volume or total production we’re used to seeing from the Falcons on the ground. But when you throw for over 500 yards, it’s hard to quibble with the offensive game plan. When fans wanted the shift to an offense that featured a more dynamic passing game, I personally felt that would inevitably be accompanied by a slight drop in the run production. It’s just a balancing of the scales.
And when you look at the type of offense that Zac Robinson comes from, it’s very different from the one Arthur Smith utilized. Passing remains a more efficient and effective way to move the football, so that’s why I think this offense will always remain slightly tilted towards that aspect of the game. In fact, this year, the Falcons’ backs are averaging 20 carries per game, which ranks 19th. Last year, they led the league with more than 26 carries per game.
However, I do think this run game has been working when called upon — a few stretches here and there, aside. The Falcons currently rank 10th in the league with 4.6 yards per carry by their running backs. It’s a smaller sample size, but that mark is actually higher than Atlanta’s 4.1 yards per carry last season by its backs. Bijan Robinson is still finding ways to be effective in the passing game, and I like how they’ve started to mix Tyler Allgeier in recently.
My hope is that Sunday, against the league’s sixth-worst run defense, that Atlanta will really lean on that part of its offense. At this point, though, I think it’s more a product of volume than effectiveness for Atlanta’s run game, and I don’t think a fullback fixes that specific problem.
