Atlanta Falcons 2020 offseason roundtable: Part 4
Four part four of our offseason roundtable series, we examine what 2020 might look under offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.
Brady: I’ll start with what Koetter’s offense should look like. Balanced. There needs to be a commitment to the run game. Whether that means parting ways with Freeman, beefing up the O-line or finding new schemes, something has to change on the ground. Will it change? From what I’ve seen, Koetter isn’t exactly on the cutting edge of NFL offensive trends. With that in mind, my best guess is we’ll see more of the same.
Chris: Bland. Dull. Meh. Bleh. Vanilla. How else can I say not creative? But that applies to only Koetter’s play-calling. Don’t get me wrong – the offensive unit will be good. With Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and others, the Falcons possess a ton of talent on that side of the ball, especially when Ryan is throwing the ball around. The FalconReport staff could call plays, and this offense would have the potential to perform well. I just don’t love Koetter’s 2012 offense in the 2020 National Football League. The talent is there. Koetter simply needs to evolve a little to take full advantage of it.
Christian: This depends on if they add a running back during the offseason. If they do the offense will be slightly more balanced, but Koetter has shown throughout his career that he loves to pass the ball, so I don’t think that will change.
Dave: It should be a little more balanced than last season. The Falcons spent so much time behind in games that they were forced to pass more than they would like. More efficient running backs would also help Koetter stick with the ground game longer, which I anticipate he will try to do in 2020.
Jeremy: I think it will be a lot more balanced with a new running back situation and a healthy offensive line. Offense has a chance to be a lot like the 2016 unit.
Malik: The same as last year and every year that he’s been the offensive coordinator for the Falcons: mostly passing, little running. That’s not a recipe for success.
Rashad: This is supposed to be the "gel year" for the Koetter reunion. Despite his extremely predictable calls in 2019, it will be interesting what Atlanta can do without Austin Hooper this season. Perhaps the personnel will be so familiar with his system, it doesn't matter if opposing defenses know what's coming their way.
Zach: The offense wasn’t the biggest problem in 2019, and I don’t expect it to be in 2020. The Falcons ranked 8th in first-down percentage at 37.7%, and third in the NFL in passing yards. A new left guard and more continuity with the group up front from last season should propel a more balanced Falcons attack into one of the NFL’s elite offenses.
