How the Atlanta Falcons’ offense is ‘very similar’ to Kirk Cousins’ Vikings scheme

When Kirk Cousins ​​​​was introduced as the new starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons on March 13, he expressed his belief that he would run an offense similar to the one he played during the two previous years with the Minnesota Vikings?

For what?

Coaching trees – Falcons first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and Vikings head coach and offensive playmaker Kevin O’Connell took their respective positions after working with the Los Angeles Rams and the head coach Sean McVay.

Robinson worked under O’Connell as assistant wide receivers coach in 2020 and assistant quarterbacks coach in 2021 before becoming quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator the past two years.

Both O’Connell and Robinson were students of McVay’s proverbial offensive school, and considering the Rams’ offensive success under his tutelage, it’s easy to see why.

As such, O’Connell and Robinson have both applied many of the same offensive principles learned under McVay to their new stops, resulting in a Falcons offense, which Robinson believes shares many similarities with that that O’Connell orchestrated in Minnesota.

“Very similar,” Robinson said last week. “Kevin O’Connell took the Rams and did a lot of the same things. We’re kind of in a combination of what they did here and the running game and different things than what we did with the Rams.”

During OTAs, the Falcons’ offense featured heavy doses of turnovers, speed and pre-snap moves, which linebacker Kaden Elliss said made life difficult for Atlanta’s defense.

The Rams led the NFL with 11 players — three sets of receivers — last year, while the Falcons ranked 31st in the league. Conversely, Atlanta led with 12, including two tight ends. Atlanta operated extensively with 11 personnel in open OTA sessions.

Another key aspect of the McVay-led Rams offense is play action, something Cousins ​​has exploited extensively with O’Connell and now Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019.

Robinson said his offense was a good combination of ingredients because Cousins ​​has to learn new information, but there were also many concepts that reflected his time in Minnesota. Now Cousins ​​knows everything, because it’s firmly established.

Still, the final product remains closely associated with that of O’Connell Fields up north — with Falcons quarterbacks coach TJ Yates mirroring Robinson’s thoughts on the commonalities.

“With Kevin O’Connell coming from the Rams, a lot of this offense is very similar,” Yates said last week. “There’s not a lot of new stuff. There’s some new stuff that Zac did in L.A. that he brought that Kirk is learning, but there’s a lot of This attack he already knows, which is good, because you can already access these 300 and 400 level conversations.”

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Cousins, who spoke after the opening OTA session in Atlanta on May 14, just over two months after officially signing his four-year, $180 million contract, said that he didn’t feel like he was in year five within the system, but he was optimistic about how he got started.

Another variable to consider is that some members of Atlanta’s core offensive staff, from Yates to offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford and running backs coach Michael Pitre, were also on Arthur Smith’s staff this season. last.

Yates, a seven-year NFL quarterback, spent the last two years as Atlanta’s receivers coach, but he nonetheless was enticed to learn a new offense.

And sometimes, in Atlanta’s four-man quarterback room, Cousins ​​teaches his coach – largely because of the foundation he has in the draft from his time with O’Connell.

“You don’t need to go back to basics,” Yates said. “So it helps you get along with certain things. For the most part, he’s got a lot more experience on offense than me or some of these coaches. So, it’s good to learn from him. He’s learning from me ., vice versa. It’s a very good piece.

Cousins ​​enjoyed his first two and a half months with Robinson, describing his new player as a hard worker and great football mind whose presence encourages players to respond to his coaching.

The duo spent a lot of time together and Cousins ​​showed strong command and anticipation at such an early stage of his acclimatization process, although he admitted that there still had bumps in the road on occasion.

“There are times when he calls the play and I’m like, ‘Okay, I understood most of those words, but give it to me one more time,’” Cousins ​​said. “That’s where you feel like you’re a rookie again, when you’re new. But there’s also a lot of things where you say, ‘Great. I was scared to do it again, but I can spit this game outside, no problem I know I read it, I’ve been there, I did it.'”

The goal, Cousins ​​said, is to form such cohesion — not only with Robinson but also with the playmakers he throws to — that it seems like Atlanta’s offense has been together for five years.

There’s a palpable buzz about what the Falcons can do offensively, with Cousins ​​leading a unit that features three weapons previously drafted in the top 10: tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and wide receiver Drake London. running back Bijan Robinson and an offensive line returning every starter from one season ago.

Much of Atlanta’s offensive success ultimately comes down to the role of Robinson, who played that role in preseason games but never in the regular season. This is where Cousins’ experience, not only over 12 seasons in the NFL, but within a similar offense, is particularly valuable.

The Falcons believe they have what it takes to make the playoffs for the first time in six years. It’s an important position for Robinson making his debut as a point guard – but one he’s quickly finding his footing in, thanks in part to Cousins ​​and how quickly the offense has been established.

“It’s awesome,” Robinson said. “It’s my first time doing it, so to have the comfort of a veteran quarterback like Kirk coming from that system, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

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