FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Left tackle Jake Matthews couldn't help but laugh when asked postgame about what it was like having Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson on the sideline for the team's Week 4 win against the Washington Commanders last Sunday.
"He got knocked down," Matthews said. "I saw him get up and fix his headset because he got rocked."
That level of involvement would have been impossible had Robinson stayed in the coaches' box.
He made the move downstairs to be closer to the action after spending last season and the first three games of 2025 calling plays from upstairs. All responses after the fact were positive.
"It was good to have him down there," Matthews said. "I think that helped. Everyone just executed and got stuff done as he called it."
The Falcons recorded season-highs with 435 yards of offense and 34 points scored. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 20 of his 26 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta rushed for 218 yards and another two touchdowns, led by running back Bijan Robinson’s 75 yards and 14-yard score.
This production came a week after the Falcons got shut out by the Carolina Panthers and a stat about how neither a wide receiver nor tight end had scored a touchdown became a talking point.
Well, both did against the Commanders. Wide receiver Drake London had a 5-yard touchdown reception, while tight end Kyle Pitts had a 7-yarder.
"It seemed to move a little bit better with Zac on the field," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris. "The communication seemed brisk. It seemed more comfortable to what we are and what we want to do. I was really pleased with how that worked out."
It wasn't perfect – Penix was still sacked once and thew an interception – but Sunday was easily the Falcons' most-balanced offensive performance this season.
Penix, who is only in his second season and his first as the starter, benefited from having Zac nearby. It took out the middle man when it came to relaying not only plays but overall feedback on the game. That was the hope and reasoning behind the change.
"It was good," Penix said. "It gives us confidence. To be able to come off to the sideline and be able to hear from him exactly what he's seeing and the way that he wants to set up the plays on the next drive, it was awesome to have. I feel like it definitely was a good thing for us."
Of course the primary concern was Penix, but other players also capitalized off Zac's proximity.
"Even me, like on some of those route plays, I was like, 'Zac, how do you think I should attack this kind of zone or attack this kind of man?'" Bijan said. "He told me exactly how he saw it, and that's how we did it. It worked out perfectly. So, it's really beneficial."
It didn't take long for the Falcons to feel that difference.
Atlanta's 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter marked its largest since 2022. After two quarters, the Falcons were up, 17-0. The final score was 34-27.
Penix's 70.6% completion rate in the first half was the highest of his career. He finished with an even higher 77%.
Zac was not available in the locker room after the game, but it's safe to assume he, too, was happy to have switched things up.
"At halftime, he was like, 'Bro, I should have always been on the sidelines,'" Bijan said. "I was like, 'Man, I agree.'"
Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Washington Commanders at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during Week 4, presented by Grady.
