FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Zac Robinson’s first offseason as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator in 2024 was hectic to say the least.
It was his first as an offensive coordinator, period. He was working with not one, but two new quarterbacks, both of whom possessed different skill sets and at polar opposite points in their respective careers. Plus, he was overseeing the complete install of a system that was quite different from what Arthur Smith had been running in the years prior. … Yeah, “hectic” might actually be the nice way of putting it.
This offseason, though, Robinson’s second as an offensive coordinator, It’s a bit more introspective than hectic.
For example, at this time last year, the coaching staff was using the voluntary OTA period and mandatory minicamp to install their system to the team at large.
“There were just so many things that were going on,” Robinson recalled. “And it was a big overhaul from the previous regime and the things these guys were used to with a lot of the players. Things moved fast.”
Now, at least offensively, they have a bit more time on their hands and can take a step back. They can take a breath and find new ways to evolve.
This is exactly what Robinson found himself doing in his early evaluations this offseason. He began by looking inward.
“First and foremost, you study yourself,” Robinson said.
What are the things the team did well? What should carry over? What shouldn’t?
A big part of Robinson’s early days were spent studying Michael Penix Jr., too. Fundamentally, Penix is different than Kirk Cousins, and the offense will run a little differently in order to best utilize his skill set. So, Robinson watched a lot of Penix film, even beyond the three games he started at the tail end of 2024.
“With Mike now, it opens up a different avenue within the offense,” Robinson said. “So, going back to even watch some of Mike’s stuff at Washington, refreshing the things we knew we liked about him coming out. Getting some refreshers, even though he played the three games, but here are some other things we can try to get to now that he is pulling the trigger.”
A part of the playbook one can infer Robinson is referring, unlocked due to Penix’s arm strength, is the ability to stretch the field vertically with explosive passes. Those plays showed up time and time again in Penix’s Washington tape, and his deep-ball ability was something that struck Falcons evaluators as special the first time they saw him throw in person at his pro day last winter.
“You knew he had the arm strength,” Robinson said, “but then you see it in person and its next level, like, ‘Holy smokes, this is different from stuff we’ve ever seen.'”
