Mistakes aside, onus is on Mularkey to fix Falcons’ offense
Mike Mularkey is getting heat for regression of Matt Ryan and the offense. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
FLOWERY BRANCH – Let’s start with the two biggest mistakes of the Falcons’ offseason.
One was not adequately replacing punter Michael Koenen after he fled for free-agent riches in Tampa. The Falcons drafted Matt Bosher and for some reason have kept him, as if holding out hopes that on one glorious Sunday, the bingo card will hit. The other was letting guard Harvey Dahl leave in free agency. It robbed the offensive line of its toughest, nastiest, limb-ripping creature, which is a problem when management is still waiting for left tackle Sam Baker to evolve into a species more intimidating than a Peep.
But that doesn’t explain everything.
The Falcons are 2-3. Even their most impressive win suddenly isn’t looking so impressive (Philadelphia is 1-4). There is no shortage of problems on defense, but that wasn’t the primary issue in Sunday night’s meltdown against Green Bay. The offense produced two touchdowns and 140 yards in the first two drives, then seemed to be vaporized. The rest of the game produced five punts, four three-and-outs, two interceptions and zero points.
There was a similar fizzle the week before in Seattle. The Falcons led 24-7 at halftime, then produced two field goals in the second half.
Bottom-line numbers: The Falcons, who promised us pyrotechnics, haven’t even provided improvement. They rank 19th in total offense (338.4 yards), 23rd in rushing (98.8), 22nd in pass-efficiency rating (79.9) and 20th in scoring (20.8) — all drops from a year ago. Some of the struggles can be attributed to the wailing wall up front. Quarterback Matt Ryan has been sacked 14 times in five games. He was dropped 23 times all of last season. He also has been less accurate and consistent in his decision-making.
But production or lack thereof generally starts with the guy pulling the strings. In this case, that’s Mike Mularkey.
It’s an offensive coordinator’s job to put players in the best position to win games. Whether the Falcons have become too predictable in play-calling, or players aren’t executing, or for whatever reason can’t stay focused for four quarters, it’s still about coaching and getting players to perform.
Here’s the most remarkable stat that has come out of the Falcons’ slow start: They’ve been outscored 61-13 in the third quarter. When presented those numbers Tuesday, Mularkey’s response was, “We try to score every time we get the ball, so that’s irrelevant to me.”
Should it be?
Coaches make halftime adjustments. The logical conclusion is defensive coaches are adjusting to Falcons’ play-calling and the offense then sputters. In the second halves of five games this season, the offensive has produced 0, 2, 1, 0 and 0 touchdowns. Is that just a coincidence?
Mularkey dismissed the adjustments theory, saying, “That’s the outside sources who would say that.” (I would be the outside source here.) He then pointed to penalties and breakdowns, not play-calling, as reasons for the scoring drop.
“The general public and yourself would not know that unless you studied film, knew what the game plan was and knew what was happening in the first half and not the second half,” he said.
He’s right. I don’t study game film. I also can’t rebuild a transmission, but I’m pretty sure I can tell when one blows up.
Mularkey doesn’t completely absolve himself of culpability (”We have to clean things up, and it starts with me.”) But he doesn’t look at tape on Mondays and declare, “Wow, did I blow that call,” at least not that he admits.
“We’re not doing it consistently now because something has happened in one place or another that has made that drive stall,” he said. “It’s not just penalties or a mistake. It’s a drop, a sack or something else. The same plays are being called.
“You ask if I second-guess myself? No, I don’t. Not like you guys do.”
He’s not too sensitive.
Mularkey actually managed a smile when asked if he was feeling heat.
“This is heat?” he cracked.
That was to be expected from someone who was a head coach in Buffalo (he resigned after two years). But until the turnaround comes, the questions won’t stop, and it’s only going to get hotter.
By Jeff Schultz
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297 comments Add your comment
Mack
October 12th, 2011
3:29 pm
oops,
I have a couple questions.
How many Pro-Bowlers did this team have last year?
Who on this team is playing like a Pro-Bowler this year?
If we have a a smart semi weak armed QB why not play a WC style offense?
mongolikebeer
October 12th, 2011
3:34 pm
After reading this Blog i agree with Mularkey- too many uninformed idiots offering opinions on things they know nothing about. Last i saw Atlanta is running no huddle more than 1/2 the game- That is the QB calling the plays then, not OC. Watch Matt Ryan’s feet-he’s been getting killed and you can tell by his happy feet-hardly the OC’s fault.
Its obvious the head coach has pared down the play book from last year- hardly the OC’s fault. I watched his offense in Pittsburgh and Buffalo very creative- it was last year as well-not the same offense this year and i doubt because the OC wanted it trimmed.
C'mon Man
October 12th, 2011
3:41 pm
Murlarky fixing the Falcons C’mon Man!
You received his quotes, he does not even believe he has a problem, especially none of his doing…”not my fault”!
C’mon Man!
Chandler Going Deep..
October 12th, 2011
3:42 pm
WestCoast wont work with Ryan because of his inconsistency in delivering the short ball or long ball.
Accuracy is his weakness for sure….
Mularkey is trying to work around something he cant fix…Tougher schedule is exposing his QB’s weakness..Read between the lines how he’s putting the failures on the players…Cause he knows the deal.. He has to scale back the book to try and match his QB’s skill set and it’s by far not elite to put it nicely….
SirReal
October 12th, 2011
3:44 pm
@mongo
So do you think its pretty much Ryan’s fault? Because I think the guy suffers from being too overhyped bc Blank paid the media to do so in hopes to move past the Vick era. Lets face it, there are a good number of QBs drafted after Ryan who are MUCH better. Two are in our division. Then you throw in the likes of guys like Stafford and you see that this team was desparate to move on. Thats fine but admit that there are GLARING limitations with this guy. He had too much pressure too soon and a huge shadow to come out of. The guy isnt the worst but no better than tier-2 and always will be in my eyes even if he actually wins a playoff game. That wont happen this year though b/c this team is going nowhere. The epitome of inconsistence. This season has been L,W,L,W,L. For the last 3 seasons it’s been Made playoffs, missed playoffs, made playoffs, and will probably miss this year too. Way to be consistently inconsistent!
ctfalconsfan
October 12th, 2011
3:44 pm
Mongo.. I wouldn’t say we are “uniformed idiots”…
I posted this FACT earlier:
Let me refresh everyone’s memory about 2010
Pitt – 0 TD’s
San Fran, Clev, Saints(H) – 1 TD per game
Philly, GB – 2 TD each game
So our high powered offense scored 2 TD’s or less in 6 games!!!! THAT IS TERRIBLE!
In our 3 losses this year we scored
0 TD’s at CHI (Offensive TD, doesn’t count Bierman)
1 TD at TB
2 TD’s home GB
So in our 3 losses the total offense scored a TOTAL OF 3 TD’s and Bierman scored 1!!!
THESE AREN’T IDIOTIC STATEMENTS they are facts.
You and Mularkey can live in a fantasy land of denial but you can’t escape all the above facts i have presented to you!!
RESULTS speak and right now they are saying 2-3!!!
ctfalconsfan
October 12th, 2011
3:46 pm
Matt Ryan will soar like a true Falcon once the ball and chain of MM is taken off his shoulders.
Chandler Going Deep..
October 12th, 2011
3:49 pm
Even his All-Pro receivers are struggling..When your QB has a 79 rating= poor, means he’s contagious not in a good way and his drama will become your drama(WR’s)….Whole Offense for that matter..
Ryan has to help his line by getting rid of the ball quickly with accuracy to his teammates, like what Arron did on Sunday Night.. Obviously easier said than done? lol
Mike R.
October 12th, 2011
3:55 pm
I’ve heard rumors they’re having some sort of Andrew Luck sweepstakes? And at like half the price of what we pay our current mistak- err, quarterback?
Can we get in on that?
Chandler Going Deep..
October 12th, 2011
4:01 pm
Also I would consider benching Tuner and get a quicker back field out there! That would change the look of my offense and potentially score more points…I need my running back to able to get to the edge even with 8-9 stacked in the box!
Scottie make it so! Aye Captain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chandler Going Deep..
October 12th, 2011
4:03 pm
Turner^^^^^
OPEN YOUR EYES
October 12th, 2011
4:11 pm
@MONGO- BRO YOU NEED TO “OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES”!!!!! MIKE MULARKEY HAS CASTED A SPELL ON UR ASS AND NOW YOU ARE IN LAH-LAH LAND!!!! WAKE THE F**K UP AND LOOK IN THE MIRROR!!!!! F**KING DUMBASS
nathan
October 12th, 2011
4:14 pm
@ Mack
“If we have a a smart semi weak armed QB why not play a WC style offense?”
You hit the nail on the head. You must’ve studied film.
Chandler Going Deep..
October 12th, 2011
4:17 pm
Mr Blank shooting Blanks!
““The general public and yourself would not know that unless you studied film, knew what the game plan was and knew what was happening in the first half and not the second half,” he said”
Mr Blank, this is how you turn off fans spending money to see your lousy product!
What an arrogant a________!
Th
October 12th, 2011
4:23 pm
I’m sick of reading about the Falcons being a running team. Show me the high draft picks for running backs or offensive linemen. You can’t because they don’t exist. Other than sign a former 2nd string RB as a free agent (a good signing), we haven’t drafted a running back before the 5th round. Other than Sam Baker, we haven’t drafted an offensive lineman before the 3rd round. Show me the commitment in personnel if you want to convince me this crowd is really serious about running the football.
BooBoo
October 12th, 2011
4:25 pm
Only a fool would fire the offensive coordinator after 5 games. What does Ryan do after that? Draw plays in the fake grass and expect the players to know what it all means? The last ones to fire are the ones who have drawn up the systems the team has learned. Change them and watch a competitive team become a laughing stock. However, fire the main man, who actually does little more than reflect the direction the ship is heading, and the ship can right itself.
Dimitrof needs to have a heart-to-heart with Mike Smith about the clock ticking on his Vanilla Ice game plan. After 3 seasons of the same thing, he might as well let the AJC post his game plan each Thursday, after he knows who won’t be playing. “This week, we plan on doing less exciting things, due to wimpy players not being available. Our plan is to have a chance to win in the last 15 minutes of the game. We feel being within 3 scores means “having a chance.” We plan to run Turner and Snelling to burn the clock, and pass to score TDs in the first half, so we can play prevent bend, leak, and burst to pieces defense after halftime. I have personally instructed the offensive coordinator to script all trick plays before the end of the 1st quarter.”
ctfalconsfan
October 12th, 2011
4:41 pm
BooBoo it’s not 5 games! It’s a lifetime!
We have other assistances that could step up and b OC..
DJ Sniper
October 12th, 2011
4:42 pm
Well, whatever we do this Sunday, we will have to do it without Julio Jones.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7093235/atlanta-falcons-receiver-julio-jones-carolina-panthers
Bird E
October 12th, 2011
4:53 pm
Fan that flame baby! I say burn, burn burn!
musicrockinrobin
October 12th, 2011
5:14 pm
I am starting to think that Mularkey listens to the media too much. The effort to get the ball down field to Julio has come at a price…he got hurt on one of those. It was 2nd and 4. The pass falls incomplete, as does the third down pass. How about a good old fashioned run on 2nd down? Then maybe it’s 3rd and 1 or 2. Then if you want to pass, line up and make it look like a run. I don’t think I can remember one play-action fake. Roddy White seems out of sync too, maybe for the same reason. Finneran and Jenkins weren’t speedy but they would make the tough catches and both could block! The shortened training camp/pre-season hurt too. Lots of QB’s are taking big hits, including one infamous former Falcon. The next 3 games will decide the season; it will be the turning point or the beginning of the end.
dannyboy
October 12th, 2011
5:38 pm
I agree with the majority of all the bloggers, MIKE MULARKEY NEEDS TO GO!!!! BVG NEEDS TO GO !!!! OUR WHOLE TEAM IS SOFT!!!. There is not one team in the league who has any fear of the falcon’s offense or the defense, which is a testimonial to the coordinators on this team. Players take on the personality of their coaches…I guess our coaches are soft cuz that’s just how our team’s attitude shows. I’m not a pro but I can recognize aggressive play-calling and aggressive defense, I can also identify and recognize p#ssy-azz team play which is what I see every week for the last few seasons no matter what regime is at the helm. The Falcons are my team but we need aggressive coaches on both sides of the ball, if we want to be considered one of the elite teams in this league then we will need to change our attitude..and to change our attitude we need to change our coordinators; don’t believe me look at the teams who play aggressive on O as well as on D. Mularkey just to show that we falcon fans pay attention I guess the first play on Sunday will be be M Turner off the right side for a gain or loss of….fill in the blank. If we know the play don’t you think the Panthers will know the play.
musicrockinrobin
October 12th, 2011
5:40 pm
Falcons are 2nd in the league in the # of pass plays…too many. Turner is averaging 16.8 carries per game…not enough. Snelling has only four carries? There is no committment to the run. And yes, all those picks they gave up for Julio at least a couple of them could have been OLinemen. However, I have seen a few 1st rounders look bad (Bears) and a couple look good (Packers). That is a crap shoot and some of the toughest positions to learn….especially if you don’t get to run block.
Dennis
October 12th, 2011
5:53 pm
@ctfalconsfan – I am not the most prolific poster here, but you may have noticed a recent post of mine similar to the one to which you responded. I do not think the Falcons are blessed with the greatest bunch of defensive players in the league, but they are better than what has been shown because of poor coaching.
jerry
October 12th, 2011
6:07 pm
Even if the Atlanta O. was successful the way they want it to be-20 plays on a 65 yard drive- it would be boring as hell.
Chandler Going Deep..
October 12th, 2011
6:18 pm
ijonathan
October 12th, 2011
5:42 pm
“With Ryan, it’s not just pure arm “strength”…who knows, maybe the dude can bench and lift decent weights and is moderately “strong” in some sense. To throw a good deep ball, you also need good footwork/balance, leading to the right rotation and body torque, and you need great wrist/hand/finger action to launch the ball at the righ trajectory and with the right spin. One of Matt’s biggest problems is that his longer throws don’t have a lot of RPM and tend not to be great spirals. The result? Even if the ball gets to its destination 50+ yards down the field, it tends not to be accurate and hangs up in the air. Think of all the great 70+ yard punts you’ve ever seen…what do they have in common? They come off the foot in a spiral, reach their arc and “turn over” with the point down, sliccing through the air. Now, think of Matt Bosher’s punts…wobbly, don’t turn over, and don’t go very far.
So yeah, I would love it if Matt put on 10-15 pounts of upper body muscle and shredded his core. But he’s also got to have better footwork and, I think more importantly, get better “ball throwing mechanics” with his hands. It can be done. Heard someone on the radio today talk about Brady and how he improved his arm strength and deep balls over the years.”
How long do fans have to wait for this guy to become elite? 1,2 3 more years?
Section 346
October 12th, 2011
6:28 pm
Matt Ryan is the problem, not the O-line. Brees(11) and Rodgers(11) have been sacked almost as many times as Ryan(13), yet somehow they still manage to make plays. Michael Turner is 12th in the league in rushing while Green Bay’s top rusher is only 22nd, so it’s not our running game either. How long are we going to make excuses for this guy?
Section 346
October 12th, 2011
6:30 pm
Matt Ryan has been sacked 13 times while Brees and Rodgers have been sacked 11. Michael Turner has more rushing yard than both starting RB’s for GB and NO. Please tell me why we keep making excuses for Ryan?
Mystikal
October 12th, 2011
7:29 pm
Michael Turner is not “the burner” like he was when he firs came to the team. He is overweight
now and often takes too long to make it to the line of scrimmage.
Tony Gonzalez is still dependable and efficient, but far from explosive. That is the nice way
of saying he’s past his prime, but still has game left in him.
Roddy White is not in decline I believe, but he is not used to being injured. He’s always
depended on his athleticism and strength too beat oponents and being hampered is new to him.
Julio JOnes has been playing lights out, but still is only a rookie. He still has not had the
benefit of a full off-season and has much to learn on the fly.
Harry Douglas showed as flashes of what he could do in his rookie season before he got hurt.
After being hampered for a season and a half he’s began to show flashes again. But he has yet
to put it all together and become what we all know he can be.
playme
October 12th, 2011
7:55 pm
“calling a different play” will make dunta make a play? YES!!! Call it, call it!!!
hbcuclassics
October 12th, 2011
8:12 pm
Player School TDs YPG
1 N. Cooper WSSU 10 149.2
2 D. McNeil ECSU 11 134.7
3 D. Carter MHouse 8 131.2
4 M. Mayhew NCAT 2 109.4
5 M. Gilbert TxSo 7 84.2
http://www.hbcuclassics.com
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 12th, 2011
8:38 pm
CHOKE = FAILURE
DIMITROFF = FAILURE
SMITTY = FAILURE
____________________________________________
MCKAY = CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
MORA = CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
VICK = CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Clear enough?
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 12th, 2011
8:41 pm
Joe Flacco = CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 12th, 2011
8:42 pm
Mark Sanchez = 2 CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 12th, 2011
8:44 pm
CHOKE = Z – E – R – O Playoff wins
KenK
October 12th, 2011
9:33 pm
I am ok with our coaches. They did a great job for 3 years. The Problem is not the coaches it is the GM. TD is clueless at drafting and signing FA.4 years of bad drafing and FA signings have left this team with little talent for coaches to work with. my petition is for a new GM..
Michael Thompson
October 13th, 2011
1:13 am
I agree about 50%. It’s not totally on Malarky’s lap if the coach and team management don’t have an orientation built on attacking or dictating to the opposing team. The orientation to “attack” or “dictate” is held prominently on teams like Pittsburgh, New England or Baltimore. Or, in their heyday, conferences like the NFC East. No matter which side of the ball, you had to strap in when you played them because you knew they would be bringing it. The Falcons simply do not approach the game that way. Their approach is more methodical, more cautious, frankly more respectful of what the opponent “might” do. They play a game of “keep-away” rather than “run-away”. By default they are not oriented to continually score when they have the lead; therefore, not lead is safe. There are pros to this approach, but at the current rate the Falcons are looking at a .500 season unless they stare themselves down in the mirror and make the changes needed to take their play to the next level.
shoot the bird
October 13th, 2011
3:00 am
This upcoming game against Carolina is a must win game for the Falcons, imo. If they dont win…they will be 2-4 and heading to detroit with a banged up mental outlook. If they win…they will be 3-3 and setting the tone that though they are strugglling…this team will win the games against teams that they should beat. That just might get them to 8 wins prior to the last game of the season against Tampa. And the way the conference is looking right now….a 9-7 mark just might get you that 2nd WC spot.
I normally dont emphasize must wins this early in the year….but I think in this case it is.
rabid dawg
October 13th, 2011
6:25 am
Dont forget that of the Falcons 1st 5 opponents….4 of them were playoff teams last year. And the 5th team won 10 games and just barely missed the playoffs.
Now that the next 5 games are a little easier….we’ll see how they do. It’s important that they continue to give 100% effort becuase they have some winnable games coming up.
mall cat
October 13th, 2011
8:41 am
average QB, bad oline and Dline, terrible DBs, average WRs
and “play calling” is the problem?
Maybe the funniest thing I’ve read on the internet in 7 months–keep it coming!!!
Brian
October 13th, 2011
12:16 pm
He sucked as an OC in Pittsburgh. He sucked as a coach in Buffalo. He’s not any better now in ATL.
Sporkdevil
October 13th, 2011
12:17 pm
Holy Flipping Douchebag Batman! Not sure Mularkey could be more hated if he clubbed baby seals for fun during the offseason.
?
October 13th, 2011
12:20 pm
MATT RYAN IS A JOKE.HIS DADDY MULARKEY IS A JOKE. MIKE SMITH IS A JOKE. THAT MAKES THE WHOLE FALCON TEAM A JOKE
Eric C.
October 13th, 2011
1:26 pm
My 2 pennies,
No Julio, no problem. The Z51 is turning back into a Honda Accord again…that is actually not a bad thing against the panthers. Falcons typically play well after a loss and this will be a great case for circling the wagons. Go back to run, run, 3rd down completion and keep Newton off the field. The defense will continue to play with desperation…should be a 26-17 type of game with the Falcons defense scoring a TD.
Ackshun
October 13th, 2011
5:13 pm
TD and Smitty ought to grow a pair and tell this guy to kick rocks and take the following losers with him:
Matt “Dead Leg” Bosher (What high school did we get this guy from?
Sam “Bust” Baker (complete waste of a draft pick considering we could have had Chris Johnson or Mike Jenkins. I have a dog that can guard a QB better than this guy)
Chris Owens (couldn’t cover his butt with a pair of underwear)
Dominque Franks (see Chris Owens)
QB Coach Bob Bratkowski (clearly isn’t getting it done. Matt’s technique is awful and he can’t seem to throw accurately more than 20 yards downfield.)
I think a mass firing might put the fear of god into the rest of the little birds in the nest. The biggest problem with this group is discipline and that starts with Smitty. He is considered a players coach but it may be time to go “Ike Turner” on a few of these guys and give them a swift kick in their complacency. Nice guys don’t win super-bowls.
Mike Mularkey is Holding Back the Atlanta Falcons | Falcons Blog
October 13th, 2011
5:55 pm
[...] defending an underperforming offense by calling people dumb and citing game tape? What a shocking revelation! I cannot help but feel [...]
ATL Observer
October 14th, 2011
11:22 am
If you want to know how much of a difference coaching can make, look no further than San Francisco.
Isn’t Alex Smith the same QB everyone gave up on, oh say– three, four times? Not a particularly outstanding scrambler…not an incredibly strong presence in the pocket, average arm strength, had a team of receivers with little-to-no faith in him…..
In comes Jim Harbaugh and all of a sudden, they’re doing all of the right things and everyone’s like “who is this Alex Smith guy?”
A big part of it is that they’ve figured out how to maximize the running game to Smith’s benefit. The Falcons have lost that thus far. I’m still hopeful they can find a way to work Snelling and Quizz in the mix more to keep Turner’s legs fresh and also provides changes of pace (remember: Turner is not, has never been, and will never be a cutback runner).
They also got away from the run vs. Green Bay when it would have served them best. Yes, we were all tired of the vanilla offense. But when you’re up 14-3 against the defending champs and the vanilla offense will actually HELP you? Then damn it, be vanilla and experiment later! The offense ran THREE STRAIGHT PASS PLAYS on the first drive after GB’s first FG! (well they couldn’t help it on the 3rd down after the dumb penalty). WTF? Start running the edges! Have both tight ends blocking and start occupying the linebackers attention at the line!
The Carolina game is a crucial one. I, for one, don’t believe the season is lost, but it well could be if this game doesn’t turn out right.
Chandler Going Deep..
October 14th, 2011
12:31 pm
Bench Turner. We need quicks back there to get to the edge!!! Use turner in short yardage situations.. Take the pressure off Ryan and the Oline… Ryan cannot carry this team…That goes with saying…