Flick's Forum: Atlanta Falcons QB Change Nets More Questions than Answers for Arthur Smith's Offense
When making a quarterback change, the hope is that, for better or worse, something is different to provide clarity on the situation.
The Atlanta Falcons (4-5), who benched starting signal caller Desmond Ridder midweek in favor of veteran Taylor Heinicke, didn't get that result in Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings (5-4) inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Many of the same issues - including more prominent ones such as turnovers and red zone execution - Atlanta's offense battled with Ridder arose again with Heinicke under center.
Perhaps more concerning, the Falcons lost at home to a Vikings team that started rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall at quarterback, and when he departed with a concussion, was replaced by a backup in Josh Dobbs who joined the team Tuesday via trade from the Arizona Cardinals.
Atlanta scored a season-high 11 points in the first half and ended with a season-high 28 points but was forced to settle for four field goals from Younghoe Koo and received help from the defense with a safety. The Falcons' 370 yards of offense marked their fifth-highest mark this season, squarely in the middle of the pack this season.
There were missed opportunities aplenty, with Atlanta unable to find paydirt after taking over at Minnesota's one-yard line, and a pair of turnovers, one an interception from Heinicke and the other a fumble from rookie running back Bijan Robinson.
In many ways, it felt like a typical offensive showing - exactly what the Falcons didn't want.
So, what's wrong?
"We're just not hitting our keys collectively," tight end Jonnu Smith said. "We come in here and we pride ourselves on putting in the work we do, we come in and we work every day, we try to improve, we try to get better, it just hasn't been going our way. Those keys and scoring in the red zone and taking care of the football, we aren't doing enough as a unit, myself included."
Smith largely did his part Sunday, posting team-high's in receptions (five) and receiving yards (100) and delivering Atlanta's longest play from scrimmage this season, a 60-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Heinicke.
In Ridder's final three full starts before leaving a Week 8 loss to the Tennessee Titans at halftime due to concussion protocol, the Falcons' offense eclipsed over 400 yards from scrimmage in each game but averaged just under 18 points per contest.
Moving the ball hasn't been a problem of late. Finishing drives has. And it once again proved fatal Sunday, perhaps proving that quarterback isn't the biggest issue in Atlanta.
“We're moving the ball really well," Heinicke said. "We just couldn't punch it in, and it's been a recurring theme throughout this year. We've been working really hard at it. We just have to work a little harder and try to find out what it is, but I felt like we moved the ball pretty well the whole game.”
Added Jonnu Smith: "I won't point that to quarterback play. It's 11 of us out there and kudos to Taylor coming in and leading us and giving us an opportunity to win a game. I think he did a great job, but we're not perfect--all of us. We got to come in and look at those plays that weren't perfect and see how we could try to improve and get better."
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 05: Taylor Heinicke #4 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 05, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Heinicke finished the afternoon 21 of 38 for 268 yards, one touchdown and an interception. His passing yards were Atlanta's third-most this season, but his completion percentage was tied with Ridder's worst.
Robinson agreed with Smith's assessment that the Falcons' struggles extend beyond quarterback and rather reverberate throughout the entire offense.
“It was tough," Robinson said. "It was on all of us. Whether it was turnovers, that hurts the offense a lot. And then, some minimal mistakes that we made. We have to understand that, and we have to be ready for everything that comes for us, no matter what the other team brings.
"We have to keep the momentum and keep the fight going throughout the whole game. The less mistakes we make, the better we play. We have to keep on going.”
When both quarterbacks prove they can move the ball down the field before struggling in the red zone and ultimately coming up short, the picture becomes clearer that perhaps it's not who's under center that's the biggest problem.
Instead, eyes turn to personnel groupings and the actual play calls, of which coach Arthur Smith has grown under heavy scrutiny for recently.
Some have pointed to Smith's lack of usage of his best players in the red zone, perhaps no situation on Sunday more telling than running a jet sweep handoff to Jonnu Smith at the goal line rather than putting the ball in Robinson's hands.
Most prominently, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner questioned the positions Smith was putting his quarterbacks in - but Atlanta's third-year coach responded by saying he didn't care what Warner thought.
It hasn't all been bad for the Falcons' offense, something second-year running back Tyler Allgeier noted after the game.
But it also hasn't been good enough to win the last two weeks, and with as much as Atlanta's invested on its offense - three consecutive top-10 picks on weapons and a starting offensive line making over $43 million combined this year alone - expectations were much higher than what the product has provided thus far.
So, what needs to change?
“I feel like we need to be accountable to each other as players and not just rely on coaches but be a player accountable team," Robinson said. "If we see something slacking, we need to make sure we’re on it before anything else happens.
"When we are player-led and accountable for each other, that’s when the build starts happening, that’s when teams start winning a lot of games because we have trust in each other."
This process starts at the beginning of the week, Robinson said, in practices and meetings.
Being player-led is something Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot have said the Falcons embody, but it appears that mantra has slipped of late, if only just.
Matters have only been made worse with the loss of captain and team leader Grady Jarrett, who started 84 straight games at defensive tackle before suffering a torn ACL in the loss against Tennessee.
On the topic of Atlanta's defense, coordinator Ryan Nielsen's unit gave the Falcons the ball in plus field position twice after recovering fumbles.
Those two drives saw Atlanta lose four and six yards, respectively.
In the second half, when the Falcons' offense broke through for 17 points, the defense faltered, allowing 21 points to Dobbs and the rest of Minnesota's offense.
The biggest dagger came when Dobbs found former Falcon Brandon Powell in the endzone for a game-winning six-yard touchdown with 22 seconds to play.
Powell's score capped off an 11-play, 75-yard drive, right after the Falcons marched 79 yards on 13 plays to take the lead following an Allgeier rushing touchdown.
When one side of the ball starred, the other struggled. That was the theme Sunday and has taken place several times this year. For Smith, that's the biggest area of improvement needed moving forward.
"We have to play in sync," Smith said. "That's the thing. You have your opportunities, and we didn't take advantage of – the defense made some plays. We got some turnovers, and we had gotten held to three. So, then you get in a rhythm, and unfortunately, the turnovers. We just never played in sync.
"There have been some times it's been good in one phase, and we obviously need to do that to get back in the win column.”
So, what does the future hold?
This season, which started with high hopes and the fire only further fueled by a 2-0 start, has suddenly reached do-or-die time. It may feel like the sky is falling, but Atlanta's just now at the halfway point.
There are 10 teams in the NFL either at .500 or a game above or below it. The New Orleans Saints, who lead the NFC South by a game over the Falcons, are among those 10.
The next few weeks will be crucial to Atlanta's hopes - and Jonnu Smith is trying to bring the positivity to a locker room in desperate need of it.
"This is where you start to separate from the pack," Smith said. "We're all kind of bunched up in the middle right now and we just need to look at ourselves in the mirror to see how we can get an edge."
Up next on the calendar for the Falcons is a road trip to Arizona, where the 1-8 Cardinals await. They're coming off a 27-0 defeat to the Cleveland Browns and have lost six straight games.
Atlanta should enter the game as heavy favorites - but many expected a Falcons victory against Minnesota, too.
With the bye week set to follow the trip to Arizona, the Falcons are searching for answers in hopes of finding something to build upon down the home stretch - and Heinicke believes Atlanta's response in the lead-up to the road trip will be critical.
“This week is going to test our character," Heinicke said. "Obviously, the bye week is right around the corner. We've lost two in a row, so we really have to come together and try to get this win, get back to .500. Then we have eight games there to try and take the division.
"It's right there for us. We just have to clean some things up. We have to go out there and do it.”
The Falcons have now lost consecutive games for the second time this season are just 2-5 in their last seven contests.
Arthur Smith opted not to declare a starter against Arizona, instead wanting to evaluate the film before picking between Ridder and Heinicke.
As such, the Falcons are not only stumbling, but they're without answers under center ... and even if they had a solution, the issues on the coaching staff's side may overrule all else.
And still, at least in some quadrants of Atlanta's locker room, there's hope, belief and optimism that it can still deliver on lofty preseason expectations and return to the playoffs for the first time in six years.
“As much as it sucks to lose - it feels like we’re 2-8 - I think we're in a really good spot," Allgeier said. "We’re what, like 4-5? So, I know we’re in a really great spot to do some great things in the future. It just comes down to learning from this film and then getting ready for next week. Being 1-0 next week, that’s the main focus.”
Smith has harped on his team having the right guys inside the building all season. With each loss, that notion gets put under a bigger microscope.
There's still time - but how much longer does Atlanta need to put it all together? Perhaps more concerningly, what progress has been made in key areas of improvement that suggest putting it all together is even possible?
The Falcons appear to have swung and missed with their first big change, moving from Ridder to Heinicke. Now, there's only further uncertainty under center and the same offensive issues still exist.
Week 9 is in the books. The second half begins Sunday. Atlanta's still in the playoff race and has a strong opportunity to get back to .500 in Arizona.
But will any of it matter if steps forward can't be made? Only time will tell - but this offense has a lot of questions to answer and few plausible solutions at this stage.
“I think this game was really tough for how we were trying to roll and how we were trying to get going but we can’t let this be a sticking point on us," Robinson said. "We have to make sure that we’re good, get over this loss, and be ready for Arizona.”
