The Atlanta Falcons once again found themselves in a tough situation, this time against their arch rival, the New Orleans Saints. Unlike last week’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and their Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Falcons managed to pull out a home win in Week 4.
Falling to 1-3, with all three losses at home, would not have pleased Atlanta fans, especially for a team that began the season with high expectations due to significant roster changes and turnover. coaches. Luckily for new head coach Raheem Morris, he doesn’t have to deal with that criticism yet, thanks to a 26-24 win over the Saints.
However, a win like Sunday’s — one that hinged on defensive pass interference leading to Younghoe Koo’s game-winning 58-yard field goal — would certainly fuel plenty of overreactions. With that said, let’s dive into our Week 4 Falcons overreactions after their win over the Saints.
Overreaction: Falcons now favorite to win NFC South division with win over Saints
As mentioned, a Falcons loss in Week 4 to the Saints would have been disastrous. Atlanta didn’t get any favors in their first four games, but with the high expectations surrounding this season, racking up three losses already would have meant they almost had to win to save the season. Losing to the Saints – a division rival – at home on Sunday would have made it even worse.
The Falcons have another NFC South game next weekend, hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have won the division the last three seasons. While Sunday’s win against the Saints is certainly positive, it doesn’t mask this team’s glaring flaws. They’re far from out of the division title race – currently in second place – but a win against the Saints doesn’t suddenly make them the favorites to win it either.
Overreaction: Falcons offense not improving
What ultimately led to Arthur Smith’s firing was the disappointing performance of the Falcons offense. Although she was hailed as an offensive guru, Smith’s unit was mediocre at best. Under the new regime, the offense hasn’t really wowed anyone through the first four games of this season.
Entering Week 4, the Falcons ranked 20th in total offense – 19th in passing, 18th in rushing – and 26th in scoring, averaging just 16.3 points per game. Four-year, $180 million man Kirk Cousins hasn’t necessarily been terrible but hasn’t been impressive either. He already has four interceptions and four fumbles this season and often looks uncomfortable in the pocket. Whether it’s because of his age (now 36), the lingering effects of last year’s Achilles injury, or a combination of the two, it’s concerning.
Another reason to be concerned about this offense is the lack of a consistent rushing attack. They have only managed to rush for more than 100 yards in a game once this season, against the Philadelphia Eagles. This is troubling, considering the Falcons supposedly have one of the best backfields in the NFL with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
The hope is that this unit is still building chemistry, especially Cousins, who might just be shaking off some rust. However, it should be noted that the offense is currently missing two key linemen, which could contribute to the struggles.
Overreaction: Tyler Allgeier should get more touches than Bijan Robinson
Before Bijan Robinson joined the backfield last year, it was Tyler Allgeier carrying the load for the Falcons. A pleasant surprise coming out of the fifth round of the 2022 draft, Allgeier has become a key player in Atlanta’s offense. But last year, Arthur Smith felt the need to bolster the offense with one of the most talented running backs in the draft, selecting Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick.
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Robinson showed flashes of talent that made him a first-round pick, but as some feared when he was drafted, Allgeier faded somewhat into the background. However, against the Saints on Sunday, Allgeier reminded everyone of his value, break tackles and win first downs while rushing for a season-high 60 yards. Naturally, with such a strong performance, there are now calls to hand him the majority of the touches.
This is probably the biggest overreaction. Certainly, Allgeier should be more involved in the offense, as he proved on Sunday that he is still very productive. The original plan was for him and Robinson to form a dynamic duo in the backfield. But this has not been the case so far.
Robinson had the lion’s share of carries with 48 to Allgeier’s 19. Interestingly, Allgeier averages more yards per carry than Robinson (5.6 to 4.1). However, it is still too early to drastically change the offensive philosophy of this year’s team. As the team solidifies and the offensive line (hopefully) becomes healthier, we’ll likely see why Robinson gets the majority of the touches. That said, Allgeier shouldn’t be an afterthought. He should be a priority for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to use moving forward.
*Statistics provided by Fox Sports.
