It’s an interesting thing, the modern NFL. Let’s just say Bill Walsh, the dearly departed former 49ers offensive genius, would have a field day in today’s NFL. The NFL of today, thanks to changes in rules, has been made into a QB/WR-friendly passing league unlike anything seen outside of the CFL.
The teams that win in this league, and I mean win Super Bowls, pass the ball more than run. The Saints, Patriots, Pittsburgh (yes, two years ago, Pittsburgh passed more than ran with Big Ben, winning the Super Bowl against another pass-first team in Arizona), and Colts ALL pass the ball to win.
The Falcons seem to have many deep-seeded issues on offense, the first of which starts with their offensive play-caller, Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularky, and his offensive philosophy of running the ball at all costs, refusing to take advantage of the changes of the rules in NFL play.
Mularky was the long-time offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s no coincidence that the Steelers never won a Super Bowl and were constant playoff under-performers with Mike Mularky calling the plays. The man refuses to play to his QBs strengths, he refuses to adapt his play calling to what the defenses gives him, and he is a dinosaur stuck in the NFL of 20 years ago. Today’s game was a perfect example of Mularky’s inept handling of the Falcons Offense over the last two years.
When it became painfully obvious to everyone watching at home that the Falcons couldn’t move the ball on the ground against the Steeler’s D, Mularky never seemed to catch on, calling run after run that went for little to no yardage. Whenever the offense moved the ball this afternoon, it was with Matt Ryan calling the offensive plays in the no huddle attack. What does that say about your performance as play-caller when your offense plays better and more in rhythm when you don’t call plays?
Mike Mularky is a hinderance to this team. He may also be a hinderance in Matt Ryan’s development as a quarterback as well. If Matt Ryan is a problem, then that is something for the team to be honest about in internal player evaluations. As a third-year quarterback, Ryan seems to have stagnated in this offense. One has to wonder why Ryan keeps on making the same mistakes over and over (forcing the ball into tight coverage around Gonzalez time after time, especially on third down). Is he not receiving honest coaching from Mularky and QB Coach Bill Musgrave? Or has he reached his plateau as a good, but not great QB? In other words, is Matt Ryan more a Trent Dilfer and less the Tom Brady that fans and Falcons’ brass want him so desperately to be?
Ryan appears as if, under the right coaching, he can succeed in this league. He had an outstanding rookie season, a record-setting rookie season, but has never progressed to a higher level on the field. That is an obvious problem with coaching. He is not being coached well by both Mularky and Musgrave. His hesitance in the pocket also mirrors his head coach’s lack of, for lack of a better word, cajones when faced with tough, in-game decisions.
Today the Falcon defense played well enough to win, but once again, the offensive coaching staff and the head coach decided to play not to lose, and lost. When it comes to what to do on 4th and 1, Falcons fans always know what Mike Smith will choose. Many Falcons fans have given Smith the nickname Field Goal Mike for his propensity to always attempt field goals when faced with 4th and 1 decisions inside the red zone. This “play not to lose” mentality has gripped this franchise and refuses to let go. In the NFL, when you play not to lose, you will lose more often than not. Excessive conservative play has never won a football game or a championship. In a game where points are at a premium, coaches with guts go for it on 4th and 1. Mike Smith has shown through his decisions that he is not a coach with guts.
Sean Payton has guts. He has cajones. He doesn’t play “not to lose” football. Neither does Bill Belichick or Mike Tomlin.
And what do they have that Mike Smith and Mike Mularky don’t?
Circumstances need to ch
ge in Flowery Branch, and they must begin with the offensive coaching staff.When you refuse to evolve, you will cease to exist.
The Falcons need to make a quick decision about adapting their offensive philosophy to take advantage of the changes in rules that have allowed for the greatest freedom in passing the ball the league has ever seen, or this season will be just another in a long line of Falcons disappointments.
They can either join the rest of the NFL in the 21st Century and accept the fact that rule changes have turned today’s NFL into a passing oasis, or they can continue to butt their heads against the wall and play 20th Century Football.
The clock is ticking.