SEC=UGA Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Completing an unusual swap of offensive coordinators, the Falcons hired Dirk Koetter from Jacksonville to replace Mike Mularkey only four days after the Jaguars introduced Mularkey as their new coach. The Falcons announced the hire on Sunday. ESPN first reported the move. Mularkey, whose Falcons offense was shut out in a 24-2 playoff loss to the New York Giants last week, was introduced as Jacksonville's coach on Wednesday. He hired former Falcons quarterbacks coach Bob Bratkowski to be his offensive coordinator. The Falcons hired Koetter despite the Jaguars ranking last in the league in total offense and yards passing in 2011. Koetter's offense ranked 29th with its average of 15.2 points per game. Koetter was hired as Jacksonville's offensive coordinator in 2007. He worked with Falcons coach Mike Smith for one year. Smith was the Jaguars' defensive coordinator before he became Atlanta's head coach in 2008. Smith said Koetter will bring "a fresh set of ideas to our offense." "He is bright, he understands the intricacies of the vertical passing game, but he also wants to be able to run the football which is very important in the NFL," Smith said. "I look forward to working with Dirk and have tremendous confidence that he will be a great addition to our team and our coaching staff." Smith has emphasized a run-first philosophy with Atlanta. After the Jaguars fired Jack Del Rio this season, interim coach Mel Tucker assigned Koetter the additional role of quarterbacks coach for the final five games of the season. Jacksonville rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert and Luke McCown combined for 12 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. The Jaguars' strength was their running game. Maurice Jones-Drew led the NFL with 1,606 yards rushing. The Falcons lost both coordinators after the season. The team is still looking to replace defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, who moved back to the college ranks to head Auburn's defense. Koetter, 52, was a combined 66-44 as the head coach at Boise State (1998 to 2000) and Arizona State (2001-06). With Atlanta, Koetter inherits an offense blessed with established starters such as quarterback Matt Ryan, running back Michael Turner, tight end Tony Gonzalez and receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones. With the exception of Jones, who was a breakout rookie in 2011, all those playmakers, plus fullback Ovie Mughelli, have been Pro Bowl selections. Despite the wealth of talent, the offense was a disappointment as the team suffered its third straight playoff loss in its four years with Smith. As part of their 2011 draft-day trade with Cleveland to move up in the first round and make Jones the No. 6 overall pick, the Falcons sent the Browns their 2012 first- and fourth-round picks. That trade leaves the Falcons fewer draft picks this year to address problem areas on the offense, including on the offensive line. A phone message was left seeking comment from Koetter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Would it make you feel any better if I told you that Green Bay hired McCarthy after a one year stint with SF where they finished 32nd in both passing and total offense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 He hired former Falcons quarterbacks coach Bob Bratkowski to be his offensive coordinator. God help them. Get ready for: 1st down: run! 2nd down: run! 3rd down: draw! 4th down: punt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Would it make you feel any better if I told you that Green Bay hired McCarthy after a one year stint with SF where they finished 32nd in both passing and total offense? No, no it really wouldn't. I like the Jags and watch them as often as is possible. Their offense has been deplorable under Koetter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) No, no it really wouldn't. I like the Jags and watch them as often as is possible. Their offense has been deplorable under Koetter. All the Atlanta fans have loved to hang their hat on the fact that they were 32nd in offense this year, but you can't blame him for Gabbert looking like a scared little girl out there, with absolutely no weapons to throw too. Clearly it was Del Rio feeling the heat to make something happen with Gabbert (not to mention McCown was just about as bad), and the GM not giving him any talent to work with that sunk their offense. It was actually amazing that they were as effective running the ball as they were, with defenses only having MJD to respect. Prior to this year, the Jags have been as high as 7th in the league, and at worst middle of the pack offensively under Koetter, despite the fact that their only real playmaker has been Jones-Drew with the talent level only decreasing every year on offense, with seemingly all of their draft picks going towards building up the defense (or if they have used any of them on offense, it hasn't been noticeable)... I mean, the guy made Garrard and Simms-Walker viable fantasy starts.... He's also known to be good with the vertical passing game, something he really hasn't had the luxury of showcasing since being at Arizona State (where offense was not the issue).... I think it's crazy that people are preferring that we would have gotten Clements, who doesn't even currently call plays, just because he's had Rodgers and Flynn to work with, while this guy gets immediately dismissed because he had a bunch of garbage to work with. Alabama wanted him too, so they must also believe that the guy can succeed with a high talent level like Bama or Atlanta's offense. Edited January 16, 2012 by delusions of granduer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 To take it a bit further, there are really only 3 keys to shoring up the Falcons offense: Fix the O-line, let Ryan run no-huddle alot, don't call predictable plays... Do that and you'll have no problem doing worlds better than Mularkey. DC is obviously a much more key hire. Offense just needs sustainability, not predictability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 All the Atlanta fans have loved to hang their hat on the fact that they were 32nd in offense this year, but you can't blame him for Gabbert looking like a scared little girl out there, with absolutely no weapons to throw too. Clearly it was Del Rio feeling the heat to make something happen with Gabbert (not to mention McCown was just about as bad), and the GM not giving him any talent to work with that sunk their offense. It was actually amazing that they were as effective running the ball as they were, with defenses only having MJD to respect. Prior to this year, the Jags have been as high as 7th in the league, and at worst middle of the pack offensively under Koetter, despite the fact that their only real playmaker has been Jones-Drew with the talent level only decreasing every year on offense, with seemingly all of their draft picks going towards building up the defense (or if they have used any of them on offense, it hasn't been noticeable)... I mean, the guy made Garrard and Simms-Walker viable fantasy starts.... He's also known to be good with the vertical passing game, something he really hasn't had the luxury of showcasing since being at Arizona State (where offense was not the issue).... I think it's crazy that people are preferring that we would have gotten Clements, who doesn't even currently call plays, just because he's had Rodgers and Flynn to work with, while this guy gets immediately dismissed because he had a bunch of garbage to work with. Alabama wanted him too, so they must also believe that the guy can succeed with a high talent level like Bama or Atlanta's offense. Jags Under Koetter: 2008: 20th total offense (15th passing), 24th scoring. 2009: 18th total offense (19th passing), 24th scoring. 2010: 15th total offense (27th passing), 18th scoring. 2011: 32nd total offense (32nd passing), 28th scoring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) Jags Under Koetter: 2008: 20th total offense (15th passing), 24th scoring. 2009: 18th total offense (19th passing), 24th scoring. 2010: 15th total offense (27th passing), 18th scoring. 2011: 32nd total offense (32nd passing), 28th scoring. Nice, knew I could rely on you to throw in this season that you can't blame him for with a rookie QB and no weapons, yet ignore the 2007 season where they were the 7th overall offense.... No they weren't better than middle of the pack other than 2007, and in some phases were actually below average, but what do you expect from the Jacksonville offense? Can you really say that with no other gamechangers besides MJD, they really should have been a top 10 offense or something? (Though agian, they were in 2007 with him there, but I don't see how you can look at that offense and expect them to perform better than middle of the pack most years, regardless of coordinator). Seriously, how you can look at Jacksonville never showing any improvement in talent level on offense, and throw it on the OC for not making them pro-bowlers? I think it's remarkable that MJD still had a probowl season with that weak supporting cast and the boxes constantly stacked on him. Edited January 16, 2012 by delusions of granduer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Nice, knew I could rely on you to throw in this season that you can't blame him for with a rookie QB and no weapons, yet ignore the 2007 season where they were the 7th overall offense.... No they weren't better than middle of the pack other than 2007, and in some phases were actually below average, but what do you expect from the Jacksonville offense? Can you really say that with no other gamechangers besides MJD, they really should have been a top 10 offense or something? (Though agian, they were in 2007 with him there, but I don't see how you can look at that offense and expect them to perform better than middle of the pack most years, regardless of coordinator). Seriously, how you can look at Jacksonville never showing any improvement in talent level on offense, and throw it on the OC for not making them pro-bowlers? I think it's remarkable that MJD still had a probowl season with that weak supporting cast and the boxes constantly stacked on him. We're not going to convince one another otherwise... I think that the Falcons made a hire waaaaay too early prior to exploring all of their options. But, on the plus side they have a OC that the HC is comfortable with. I do agree that the Jags 2011 season was an aberration, one has to remember that they were missing about 72 starters on offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 We're not going to convince one another otherwise... I think that the Falcons made a hire waaaaay too early prior to exploring all of their options. But, on the plus side they have a OC that the HC is comfortable with. I do agree that the Jags 2011 season was an aberration, one has to remember that they were missing about 72 starters on offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 We're not going to convince one another otherwise... I think that the Falcons made a hire waaaaay too early prior to exploring all of their options. But, on the plus side they have a OC that the HC is comfortable with. I do agree that the Jags 2011 season was an aberration, one has to remember that they were missing about 72 starters on offense. I don't want to act as if I blindly support the hire either (though I do have faith that TD and Smith wouldn't just take a chance on him, with their jobs on the line). My only point is that offensive success (or lack thereof) does not necessarily preclude or predict success elsewhere, because there are more factors involved, namely talent level in this case... Josh McDaniels is the poster boy for being the "offensive genius" behind a great QB, who didn't turn out to be so great without him... So while there might have been more flashy hires, they might have been far worse fits. I do agree that they jumped the gun a bit in hiring him, but I don't think it was for any other reason than they'd already determined that he was the best fit out of the available candidates after the interview. But I'm just saying that we need to look at how this guy can fit into this system (I like it that he's already expressed a commitment to balance and the no-huddle), rather than just say that he can't succeed just because the talent-bare Jags couldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 I don't want to act as if I blindly support the hire either (though I do have faith that TD and Smith wouldn't just take a chance on him, with their jobs on the line). My only point is that offensive success (or lack thereof) does not necessarily preclude or predict success elsewhere, because there are more factors involved, namely talent level in this case... Josh McDaniels is the poster boy for being the "offensive genius" behind a great QB, who didn't turn out to be so great without him... So while there might have been more flashy hires, they might have been far worse fits. I do agree that they jumped the gun a bit in hiring him, but I don't think it was for any other reason than they'd already determined that he was the best fit out of the available candidates after the interview. But I'm just saying that we need to look at how this guy can fit into this system (I like it that he's already expressed a commitment to balance and the no-huddle), rather than just say that he can't succeed just because the talent-bare Jags couldn't. As a life-long Falcons fan I am predisposed to being pessimistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 As a life-long Falcons fan I am predisposed to being pessimistic. I still can't figure out why they let Vick go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) As a life-long Falcons fan I am predisposed to being pessimistic. That's what makes it a bit baffling me how the attitude for the Falcons now is Superbowl or bust, when just 4 years ago this franchise was in such dismay that we would have been happy with just getting back on track with a single winning season by now.... 4 straight years of winning seasons and 3 playoff berths just 1 year after the Vick undoing, when the Falcons had never seen back-to-back winning seasons... It's nothing short of remarkable.... And yet people are calling for Smith's head if this leads to anything less than a playoff win? Yeah, I'd say TD and Smith's undoing in Atlanta might be the fact that they raised expectations too high too fast... Edited January 16, 2012 by delusions of granduer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 That's what makes it a bit baffling me how the attitude for the Falcons now is Superbowl or bust, when just 4 years ago this franchise was in such dismay that we would have been happy with just getting back on track with a single winning season by now.... 4 straight years of winning seasons and 3 playoff berths just 1 year after the Vick undoing, when the Falcons had never seen back-to-back winning seasons... It's nothing short of remarkable.... And yet people are calling for Smith's head if this leads to anything less than a playoff win? Yeah, I'd say TD and Smith's undoing in Atlanta might be the fact that they raised expectations too high too fast... Mike Smith and Arthur have done an excellent job building this team... For me, the jury is still out on Dimitrof. I have very small issues with the way the team has performed considering the personnel that they have. Where I think Dimitrof has come up short is not addressing the defensive secondary, parts of the o-line (though they have drafted some o-linemen) and his willingness to overlook these needs by trading away critical draft picks that could shore up these positions. I do also see some issues on the D-line, though they have gone out and signed some d-ends and tackles who simply have not panned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slugs3511 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Brady = success in the passing game not an offensive coordinator, and I am not a Tom Brady fan either.....He's proven it with three coordinators now......Hell I could call the plays and then go to the Browns and fail.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jharrer1980 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Mike Nolan - great friggin move!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The Falcons can have Musgrave back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Mike Nolan - great friggin move!!! Do the Falcons have the personnel to convert to a 3-4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shorttynaz Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Jags Under Koetter: 2008: 20th total offense (15th passing), 24th scoring. 2009: 18th total offense (19th passing), 24th scoring. 2010: 15th total offense (27th passing), 18th scoring. 2011: 32nd total offense (32nd passing), 28th scoring. Problem is they don't have any playmakers on offense outside of Jones-Drew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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