Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has emphasized the importance of the run game, calling it “the lifeline of the offense” multiple times in recent days. Following a loss to the Miami Dolphins where Atlanta managed only 45 rushing yards, Morris reiterated his focus on improving performance up front.
This season, there have been three games in which the Falcons struggled with their running attack, each resulting in a loss. In addition to the Dolphins game, Atlanta rushed for just 62 yards against the San Francisco 49ers and 69 yards against the Carolina Panthers. The team failed to score more than 10 points in any of those matchups. The losses to Carolina and Miami were particularly decisive, with margins of 30 and 24 points respectively.
“The only similarities (between Carolina and Miami) really that I talked about today with the owner, matter of fact, was we didn’t play well up front,” Morris said Monday. “And if we don’t play well up front, those games can get ugly and that’s how it’ll look.”
Morris meets weekly with team owner Arthur Blank to discuss both after-action and pre-game reports. This week’s review centered on offensive line performance.
Right guard Chris Lindstrom acknowledged criticism directed at his unit after recent losses. “We didn’t do our job, and when we can’t do that, we can’t give anybody opportunities,” Lindstrom said. “It starts up front, and that has meaning. We just need to be better.”
The Falcons’ rushing offense has dropped from first in league rankings three weeks ago—when they averaged over 151 yards per game—to eleventh place at an average of 123.3 yards per game.
Currently holding a record of three wins and four losses, Atlanta has averaged more than twice as many rushing yards in victories compared to defeats.
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson discussed issues facing the run game after last Sunday’s loss. He cited identification errors as a key problem: “In the run game, obviously, we want to account for everybody that’s down in the box,” Robinson said. “When you don’t identify those players correctly…that’s where you can have some free hitters…Ultimately that’s our job to make sure that everybody is on the same page with what the right calls are…”
Left tackle Jake Matthews noted that adjustments must be made quickly during games due to evolving defensive looks: “It’s always evolving…It’s something we need to improve.”
Lindstrom added that communication among players is crucial: “100% player-to-player…We just need to communicate it for ourselves, and we take ownership for that loss.”
The Falcons will next face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The Patriots currently rank third in run defense nationally.
“We haven’t forgot how to play,” Robinson said. “We still have good players. We have good coaches. It’s just getting back to that and just maintaining a level of consistency.”
