Inside the Atlanta Falcons’ Offensive Coordinator Role: What Fans in Atlanta Should Know

If you live in Atlanta, you know the city’s mood on Monday often depends on how the Falcons offense looked on Sunday. At the center of that excitement (or frustration) is the offensive coordinator – the coach responsible for designing and calling the plays that shape every drive.

This guide breaks down what the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator actually does, how the role has evolved here in Atlanta, how it affects gameday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and what local fans can watch for if they want to understand the offense on a deeper level.

What Does the Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator Do?

The offensive coordinator (OC) is the coach who oversees everything related to the Falcons’ offense. While the head coach sets the overall direction of the team, the OC is focused on:

• Game planning: Studying opponents and building the weekly offensive plan.
• Play design: Creating and adjusting plays for the QB, receivers, running backs, and offensive line.
• Play-calling: Deciding what plays the Falcons run during the game (when the head coach doesn’t call plays himself).
• Player development: Working closely with the quarterback and offensive position coaches to improve execution.
• In-game adjustments: Tweaking the plan on the fly based on what the opposing defense is doing.

For Atlanta fans, this means the offensive coordinator has a major impact on:

• How often the Falcons run vs. pass.
• How creatively the team uses stars on offense.
• Whether the offense feels aggressive, conservative, balanced, or chaotic.

How the Offensive Coordinator Fits into the Falcons’ Coaching Structure

At Mercedes-Benz Stadium and at the Falcons’ headquarters in Flowery Branch, GA, the OC is one of the top decision-makers on the football side.

A typical structure around the OC includes:

• Head Coach – Sets the team’s philosophy. Some head coaches are offensive-minded and may share or control play-calling.
• Offensive Coordinator – Translates that philosophy into a working offense and weekly game plans.
• Position Coaches – QB coach, RB coach, WR coach, TE coach, offensive line coach, etc., who work under the OC.
• Analysts and Quality Control Coaches – Help the OC with film breakdown and game-planning details.

If you attend an open training camp session in Flowery Branch, you’ll often see:

• The OC moving between position groups, especially quarterbacks and receivers.
• The OC talking directly with the head coach during team periods about what works and what needs to be adjusted.

Offensive Identity in Atlanta: What to Watch for as a Local Fan

Every offensive coordinator brings a philosophy. For Atlanta fans, that philosophy is what you feel from the stands or your couch:

• Is the offense run-heavy, leaning on the ground game early and often?
• Is it pass-first, attacking downfield and using spread formations?
• Is it balanced, adjusting week to week based on matchup?

From a Falcons perspective, fans in Atlanta often pay attention to:

1. Use of Star Players
   How the OC gets the ball to the team’s most dynamic weapons is a major talking point in local sports radio and barbershop conversations. People watch for:

   • Motion and creative formations.
   • Red zone touches for top players.
   • How often the ball goes to specific players on key downs.

2. Third-Down and Red-Zone Performance
   At Mercedes-Benz Stadium, crowd energy often swings on third downs and red-zone trips. The OC’s decisions show up clearly in:

   • Short-yardage run vs. pass choices.
   • Trick plays or conservative calls inside the 20.
   • Whether the team settles for field goals or scores touchdowns.

3. Tempo and Aggressiveness
   Fans notice:

   • No-huddle or hurry-up offense in key moments.
   • Willingness to go for it on 4th down in plus territory.
   • Shot plays (deep passes) to change momentum.

How Game Planning Happens During a Typical Week in Atlanta

Even if you’re just watching from your home in Buckhead, College Park, Decatur, or Marietta, it’s helpful to know what the offensive coordinator is doing all week leading up to Sunday.

Early Week (Monday–Tuesday)

• Reviewing game film from the last Falcons game.
• Breaking down the upcoming opponent’s defense.
• Meeting with the head coach and staff to outline the overall plan.

Midweek (Wednesday–Thursday)

• Installing the game plan during practice at the Falcons’ Flowery Branch facility.
• Working with the quarterback on reads, protections, and timing.
• Testing specific plays in different situations: third down, red zone, 2-minute drill.

Late Week (Friday–Saturday)

• Fine-tuning which plays stay in the plan (and which get cut).
• Creating an organized call sheet for game day.
• Walking through situational football: backed up near their own goal line, end-of-half, and end-of-game scenarios.

By the time fans file into Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, the OC’s week of planning is already baked into the script – you’re seeing the results in real time.

On Gameday in Atlanta: Where the Offensive Coordinator Operates

If you’re at a home game, you might wonder where the offensive coordinator actually is during the action.

Most OCs work either:

• From the sideline:
  • Closer to players and position coaches.
  • Easier face-to-face communication with the quarterback.
• From the coaches’ booth (upstairs in the stadium):
  • Clearer view of the entire field.
  • Easier to study defensive structure and coverage.

Wherever the OC is stationed, they’re connected through headsets to:

• The head coach
• The quarterback coach
• Other assistants who chart plays, track tendencies, and spot coverage changes

This communication chain is what drives real-time decisions like:

• Changing a run-heavy drive to a quick passing series.
• Attacking a cornerback or coverage look that seems vulnerable.
• Adjusting protection if the opponent starts blitzing more often.

Key Responsibilities of the Falcons Offensive Coordinator (At a Glance)

Here’s a simple breakdown of what the OC handles that fans usually feel during and after games:

How Local Fans in Atlanta Can Better “Read” the Offensive Coordinator

If you enjoy deepening your understanding of the game, you can learn a lot by watching the Falcons’ offense through the offensive coordinator’s lens.

Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Track First-Down Tendencies

📝 Tip: Next time you’re watching from a bar in Midtown or your living room in East Atlanta, just keep mental notes:

• Do the Falcons run or pass more on first down?
• When they have early success, does the OC stay aggressive?
• Does the offense become predictable in certain situations?

These patterns come directly from the OC’s philosophy.

2. Watch How the Falcons Respond to Adversity

After a:

• Sack
• Turnover
• Failed third down
• Opponent scoring drive

Ask yourself:

• Does the OC dial up quick, safe throws to settle things down?
• Does he take a shot downfield to flip momentum?
• Does he shift personnel packages (more tight ends, more receivers)?

Atlanta fans often discuss this on sports talk radio and in postgame conversations—because it’s where coordinators really earn their reputation.

3. Pay Attention to Halftime Changes

If the Falcons offense looks flat in the first half but sharper in the second, that often reflects:

• Halftime adjustments made by the OC and staff.
• New ways to attack defensive looks that gave trouble early.
• Different personnel groupings or formations to create better matchups.

When you notice a completely different feel to the offense after halftime, that’s usually the OC’s fingerprints.

How the Offensive Coordinator Impacts the Game Day Atmosphere in Atlanta

At Mercedes-Benz Stadium:

• A well-schemed offensive drive that ends in a touchdown can turn the building electric.
• Creative play-calling—reverses, misdirection, deep shots—tends to draw big reactions from the crowd.
• Conversely, conservative or repetitive calls on key downs can trigger visible frustration in the stands.

From the pregame tailgates around Northside Drive and The Home Depot Backyard to the final whistle, many of the highs and lows Atlanta fans feel come back to the decisions of the offensive coordinator.

Where the Falcons’ Offensive Work Actually Happens

Although fans see the results on Sundays in downtown Atlanta, much of the OC’s work is done at the Falcons’ training facility in Flowery Branch, northeast of the city.

Atlanta Falcons Headquarters & Training Facility
4400 Falcon Parkway
Flowery Branch, GA 30542

During training camp and some open practices:

• Fans can sometimes watch the offense go through installs and drills.
• It’s a good chance to see how the OC interacts with quarterbacks, receivers, linemen, and position coaches.
• You can visually pick up on the kinds of concepts and tempos the OC values.

For many local fans, attending a camp session once or twice provides useful context for what they later see at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Following Falcons Offensive Storylines Year-Round in Atlanta

If you live in the Atlanta area and want to stay on top of what the offensive coordinator is doing throughout the year, you can:

• Listen to local sports radio and coaches’ segments that break down offensive decisions from recent games.
• Watch or attend press conferences, where the OC or head coach may discuss:
  • Offensive identity
  • Player roles
  • Why certain plays were called in key moments
• Keep an eye on how the offense evolves across the season:
  • Early-season experimentation vs. late-season refinement.
  • Young players gaining bigger roles as they earn trust.
  • Adjustments when injuries occur on the offensive side.

These are all windows into how the offensive coordinator is shaping the Falcons’ approach.

By understanding what the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator actually does—how he game-plans in Flowery Branch, how he calls plays on Sundays in downtown Atlanta, and how his decisions drive the city’s football conversations—you can watch each game with a sharper eye and a deeper appreciation for what’s happening behind every snap.