Can they get things turned around in Atlanta? They’ve got a lot of good pieces – an above-average quarterback, a pair of good enough runners and maybe the best wide receiver in the league. Jake Matthews looks like an up-and-coming left tackle, and they just made Alex Mack the game’s highest-paid center.
But the offense scored only 35 touchdowns last year (3 below the league average) and it got worse as the year wore on. In the second half of the season, only two teams scored fewer points.
I am disturbed by Kyle Shanahan’s history of being able to generate yards without getting the ball in the end zone. He has been the offensive coordinator for eight NFL offenses, and all but one of those teams has finished at least a half-dozen spots higher moving the ball than actually scoring points.
Falcons fit this profile last year. First in time of possession, 7th in plays, and 2nd in third-down efficiency. But not enough touchdowns and points.
| KYLE SHANAHAN OFFENSES | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Yards | Points | Diff |
| 2008 | Houston | 3rd | 17th | -14 |
| 2009 | Houston | 4th | 10th | -6 |
| 2010 | Washington | 18th | 25th | -7 |
| 2011 | Washington | 16th | 26th | -10 |
| 2012 | Washington | 5th | 4th | +1 |
| 2013 | Washington | 9th | 23rd | -14 |
| 2014 | Cleveland | 21st | 27th | -6 |
| 2015 | Atlanta | 7th | 21st, tie | -14 |
—Ian Allan