Falcons Coach Takes 'Full Responsibility' for Offensive Struggles vs. Steelers

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is excited to get back on track against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson took the blame for the team's Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons' offense struggled in its first regular season game last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which ended with an 18-10 loss inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Of its 10 drives, Atlanta had only two go more than 22 yards. The Falcons ran just 11 plays over their final four possessions. They finished the day with 226 net yards including three turnovers and converted only 2-of-9 third downs.

The Falcons' offense was penalized three times for 24 yards, but those penalties negated 32 total yards, including an illegal hand to the face penalty on left tackle Jake Matthews that removed a 17-yard catch-and-run for tight end Kyle Pitts.

Penalties and turnovers were oft-cited by players and coaches postgame for Atlanta's defeat -- but Falcons first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson wants the burden of blame placed on himself.

"Obviously a lot to clean up from the first outing, take full responsibility for what happened Sunday, just with some of the operation things and some of those things we can control," Robinson said in his press conference Thursday. "Just to clean up the overall operation I think is the biggest thing.

"So, we're certainly looking at ourselves as coaches first and foremost, knowing if we operate the way we can and we don't turn the football over, the result of those games can be different. But the result is what it is."

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Robinson added he's disappointed in the outcome but said the team is working toward cleaning it up, a process that included an energized Thursday practice filled with urgency.

As such, Robinson is optimistic in the Falcons' offense finding better success moving forward -- in part because the unit won't see many defenses as stingy as Pittsburgh's.

"They make it difficult," Robinson said of the Steelers. "That's a really good defense. They got good schemes. They have great camaraderie across the board. There's really no weaknesses in their defense. So certainly, they've presented some challenges schematically and obviously with their personnel that made it different.

"But I think if we operate and execute the way we can, it could be a different story. But obviously they did their business, and we didn't take care of it."

The 37-year-old Robinson spent the past-five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, serving as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019 and 2021, assistant receivers coach in 2020 and quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator in 2022 and 2023.

Highly sought after for other offensive coordinator vacancies this spring including the Steelers, Robinson, who spent four years on a variety of rosters as a reserve quarterback, is viewed as an ascending talent in the coaching industry.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who worked alongside Robinson the past three seasons in Los Angeles, said he knows how Robinson reacts when faced with adversity: His demeanor stays the same.

And Morris, speaking Thursday before practice, said Robinson has taken full accountability behind the scenes -- though Morris anticipates Robinson growing as he and quarterback Kirk Cousins find their rhythm in Atlanta.

"I think that's a growing phase you're going to constantly have," Morris said, "with Zac going into his second game coming up this week, and you’ve got Kirk coming into his second game as an Atlanta Falcon, with Kirk coming off of his injury and being able to be healthy and do all the things he wants to do and getting a feel for each other.

"So, I think that they're going to continue to grow as we go. Those guys are going to get better with each other. The thing I loved about it is the accountability of both. There's not one person that's going to sit up here and blame anybody. Both of those guys took accountability, myself included."

The immediate road doesn't get much easier for the Falcons, who face the Philadelphia Eagles at 8:15 p.m. Monday night inside Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The Eagles took a 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers last Friday in Brazil, and while the Packers totaled over 400 yards of offense and averaged over seven yards per play, Robinson anticipates a tough test from Philadelphia's defense.

"Really good up front, good at the second level," Robinson said. "They've got some experience with [cornerback Darius] Slay on the back end there. Then, they've got some younger guys that can really play, with the new corner [first-round rookie Quinyon Mitchell] they just drafted. So, another great challenge for us."

Robinson noted the Eagles provide a tough environment that makes communication difficult, making operation key to Atlanta's success. Matching Philadelphia's physicality up front is another.

But most importantly, the Falcons just want to prove they have a better offense than what they showed against the Steelers.

"Definitely excited for those guys just to get back out there and go play because I know they're chomping at the bit," Robinson said.