New Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter has a lot of expectations as he attempts to govern a Falcon offense full of dynamic playmakers. Koetter spent the last five years as the OC of the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team nowhere near as offensively capable as the Falcons.
Jacksonville's offense finished dead last in 2011 in terms of yards per game, averaging a mere 259.3 yards a contest. It’s difficult to discern how much of that was Koetter’s fault, given that he was operating with rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
A better comparison would be the Jaguars of 2010, when they were the 15th best offense and averaged 341.2 yards a game, with veteran QB David Garrard as the primary signal caller. In comparison, the Falcons were 10th last year and averaged 376 yards a game.
The one constant throughout Koetter’s tenure in Jacksonville was a dependable rushing game. Despite Jacksonville’s unimpressive overall numbers last season, their ground stats were remarkable given that defenses stacked the line of scrimmage in anticipation of a handoff to Maurice Jones-Drew.
Last season the Jaguars racked up 1,970 yards on the ground, 12th best in the NFL. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 1,606 yards with a 4.7 yards per carry average and eight touchdowns. Falcons RB Michael Turner, a comparable back to Jones-Drew in both style and production, averaged 4.5 yards per carry and finished with 1,340 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In Atlanta, Koetter inherits two veterans -- Matt Ryan and Turner -- who can ease the transition into a new offense. Ryan is a burgeoning leader who won’t give up the ball and make inexperienced mistakes while Turner represents a bullish back eager to hit the hole.
In their lone head-to-head matchup vs. Jacksonville last year, Ryan was 19-of-26 and threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons’ 41-14 rout.
Ryan and Koetter have spent a lot of time together this summer watching tape and discussing offensive tactics as they ease into their first training camp together.
“Matt will look you in the eye and tell you how he sees it and how he thinks, and not B.S. you,” Koetter told Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Sentinel in June. “By the same token, I can tell him what I think, what I see and what the coaching staff sees. He takes coaching well, but he also gives good feedback.”
Aside from Ryan and Turner, Koetter also will have skill guys like Roddy White and Julio Jones at his disposal, talented wide receivers which he never saw in Jacksonville. Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons’ second leading receiver last year, will love playing under Koetter, whose offense typically highlights tight ends.
In 2010, Jacksonville’s TE Mercedes Lewis had a career year with 58 receptions and 10 touchdowns.
The similarities abound between the two offenses and Koetter should benefit from the upgraded skill players to the significant veteran presence the Falcons have to offer.
For more Falcons coverage, follow Mike Singer @CBSSportsNFLAtl.
