FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson wants to be closer to his players on game day, and that is part of the reason he is moving from the coaches' booth to the sideline beginning in Week 4.
The in-game proximity will not only allow for easier communication with players, but it gives Robinson real-time temperature checks on his unit. How are they feeling about the play-calling? What're they seeing on the field? Is there anything he should re-evaluate? Everyone can directly chime in if Robinson is nearby, rather than using an assistant coach as the go-between.
The biggest beneficiary of Robinson's new location on game day should be quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who experienced communication difficulties in the last two games either from crowd noise in Minnesota or headset malfunctions in Carolina.
"Certainly, with the young quarterback, you want to make sure that we're speaking the same language in between series and we're not playing telephone through the headset," Robinson said. "That's the main goal from it, and we'll go from there."
Penix didn't voice a preference for one way over the other. However, Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET, CBS) will be only his seventh career start. He has only ever known Robinson's voice virtually.
So, take it from a quarterback who has experience both. Former Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter made the change in 2014 to be closer to Matt Ryan after calling plays from the booth in 2013. Ryan felt the benefits of that move immediately.
"It's great for me, as a quarterback, to have the play-caller right there to be able to talk to him and for us to be able to communicate without any middle man," Ryan said on Sept. 9, 2014 after the Falcons' Week 1 win against the New Orleans Saints. "I thought that was awesome. And I really think it helps our tempo, too, out on the field. We're able to go as fast as we want because Dirk's right there firing off the play calls and letting me know what we want to do."
That's one perspective from more than a decade ago. However, those thoughts were echoed as recently as Wednesday by another former Falcons quarterback.
Dave Archer, who played for the Falcons from 1984-87 and also spent time with multiple teams and offensive coordinators, shared his opinion on the latest “Falcons Audible” podcast.
"Zac Robinson coming down, from my perspective, puts him face-to-face with his young quarterback," Archer said. "It's one thing to get on the headset and talk to the guy upstairs. You go over a couple things, look at the pad and all that kind of stuff. But when he's sitting right next to you and he can look in your face and can see some of the concerns, some of those kind of things, there's a human element attached to that."
That sentiment falls in line with Robinson's reasoning for the switch.
There's also the logistical part of it. While the offensive coordinator may have a more wholistic view of the field — and therefore the game — from the coaches' booth, he is more limited when it comes to actually conversing with his quarterback.
"Remember, the headset cuts off at 15 seconds," Archer said. "I can't talk to him. If I'm on the sideline, and he's not sure, now I don't have to relay to one guy and then him relay it out — or he can't even relay. He's trying to yell, pull his headset down and yell. Now, I'm there and we can talk to one another. It simplifies the operation."
There are pros and cons to both play-calling positions. Every team's situation is different. The Falcons' reality is that they have a second-year offensive coordinator and a second-year quarterback. They believe having Robinson available to communicate directly with Penix on the field is worth a shot.
"This is a guy that has played six football games in the National Football League," Archer said. "How much can I help him do his job?"
