Arthur Smith Exposes Truth Behind Falcons Recent Run Game Struggles

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith reveals why the team's once successful run game has fallen off as of late.

The Atlanta Falcons' season could be over in three games largely because the offense, which was once propelled by a dynamic run game, has died in recent weeks as they’ve lost hold of the NFC South division.

Against the New Orleans Saints in Week 12, the first-place Falcons had 228 rushing yards and won 24-15. In the three games since the Saints, star running back Bijan Robinson had his second consecutive game with 90 or more rushing yards, he’s been almost nonexistent. 

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson's production as a rusher has cratered in recent weeks / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Robinson went from averaging 93 rushing yards per game in those contests to 98 total in the next three contests, slashing his rushing production down by roughly two-thirds. The team as a whole has also struggled at rushing the football, averaging under 113 total yards per game since beating New Orleans.

Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith explained the team’s recent struggles running the ball following its successful outing against the Saints.

“You go back to the Jets game. You look at those conditions against a good defense. We did what we had to do to win that game,” Smith said. “So, it was kind of ugly. These conditions (Carolina Panthers game) were worse than that.”

It doesn’t sound like Smith believes the issue falls on his team’s gameplan, so much as the weather and opposing defenses making the Falcons deviate from its identity as a smash-mouth offense that thrives when feeding players like Robinson and second-year running back Tyler Allgeier, he also said that players have been banged up, so health has played a factor.

Going forward, however, Atlanta’s head coach is confident that his team will bounce back to close out the season.

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“I have confidence in our guys,” Smith said. “I know what those guys in there are made of, and I know what we’ll do this week. It’s a prideful group.”

Sunday, the Falcons’ “prideful group” will have an opportunity to reassert itself at home against the Indianapolis Colts as the team attempts to break its two-game losing streak.