"The dismissal of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver coach Ike Hilliard is considered by many to be a head-scratcher. However, Hilliard's dismissal stems directly from the cause of the Falcons' current offensive struggles: their declining wide receiver play. Hilliard may still be a scapegoat, mainly because it's debatable whether his replacement, T.J. Yates, is the right pick to improve the play of this wide receiver group."
"Yet the Falcons have suffered a complete offensive failure in the first three weeks of the 2025 season. Despite much ado about how the team chooses to align quarterback Michael Penix, the root of that failure lies in the wide receivers not performing in a passing attack catalyzed by the position group. Both explosiveness and efficiency have disappeared from an offense that had an abundance of both in 2024."
"Darnell Mooney was the driving force behind the team's explosiveness last year. His 21 receptions of 20-plus yards last year ranked second among NFL wide receivers. Mooney has one such reception in his two appearances this year, which came as a meaningless play as time expired at the end of the first half last week in Atlanta's loss to the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, running back Bijan Robinson is currently the team's most explosive pass-catcher, with three explosive plays."
Atlanta fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard largely because of deteriorating wide receiver performance that has undermined the offense. The replacement, T.J. Yates, may be a scapegoat because it is unclear he can repair the group. The offense has suffered a complete failure in the first three weeks of 2025, and the primary problem is wide receivers failing to produce in the passing attack rather than formations or pistol usage. Explosiveness and efficiency that existed in 2024 have vanished. Darnell Mooney’s long receptions have dried up, Bijan Robinson has become the most explosive pass-catcher, and big-play production has fallen sharply.
Read at The Falcoholic
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