Falcons trying to recapture their red-zone magic

The Falcons, after not playing their starters in the exhibition games, hustled their way to a 2-2 record, the offense, under the direction of first-year coordinator Zac Robinson, scored in nine of 11 red-zone trips — including a string of six TDs in a row — as they went 4-1 over the next five games.

That torrid 81.8% was unsustainable.

Over the losses to the Saints, Broncos and Chargers in the past three games, the Falcons have scored in only two of eight red-zone trips (25%). The Ravens (75%) lead the NFL, while the Giants are last (42.4%). The Ravens and the Lions lead the league with 47 red-zone touchdowns.

Of the Falcons’ red-zone touchdowns, 17 were passes, nine rushes and two returns.

The Falcons were a costly 1-of-4 in the red zone in a 17-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.

“There’s definitely things that we’ll always continue to look at in terms of where we can be better as coaches, providing the right answers, execution, all those things that go into it,” Robinson said.

Robinson believes that not taking care of the ball is where the Falcons are stopping themselves. Only one of Kirk Cousins’ four interceptions against the Chargers was thrown in the red zone.

“We’re able to move the football very efficiently first and second down,” Robinson said. “It’s just making sure that we are on the screws with situational football: third-down red zone, scoring points when we get down there, scoring touchdowns when we get down there.”

Falcons coach Raheem Morris knows that the red-zone offense must improve if the Falcons are going to retain possession of first place in the NFC South and make a playoff push.

“Once we get in those situations, we’ve got to score points,” Morris said. “We’ll have an emphasis on our red-zone offense, for sure, but go out there and detail our passing game up even more to make things come to life for us.”

Morris started ticking off the potential red-zone weapons, from tight end Kyle Pitts to running back Tyler Allgeier.

“Any other weapons that we have currently in Atlanta that we can go out there and utilize in order to score touchdowns,” Morris said.

With the 17-to-9, pass-to-rush TD ratio, the running game would seem the ideal place to start.

“We’ve been there,” left tackle Jake Matthews said. “It’s close. It’s just finding a way to get it done. That’s everyone doing their part and executing on specific things. It’s one thing holding us up here and there. We have to find a way to get it done. That’s part of being professional. That’s why we come out here and practice during the week. That’s our focus.”

Matthews said the offense is hoping to regain that high level of red-zone efficiency that it had from Games 5 through 9.

“It’s hard to give exact reasons why,” Matthews said. “You feel like you have the same approach you had earlier in the season, when things were going well. Unfortunately, not the last few weeks. The thing that it always comes back to is, that you’ve got to go to work. Focus on the things that need improving … so that they are not an issue in the future.”

Wide receiver Drake London is the Falcons’ top target inside the red zone. He has caught 13 of 19 red-zone passes and has six touchdowns. Mooney has caught two of six, with a touchdown. Ray-Ray McCloud has caught two of three, with a touchdown.

Pitts has caught one of seven red-zone targets, for a touchdown.

Running back Bijan Robinson has caught four of four red-zone targets and has a touchdown. Allgeier has caught his only target, without a TD.

Robinson has 31 red-zone rushes for 55 yards and six touchdowns. Allgeier has 23 red-zone rushes for 41 yards and two touchdowns.

On Cousins’ red-zone interception against the Chargers, the pass looked like it was intended for Mooney, but the quarterback said he was lofting it for London.

“Not scoring in points in the red zone,” Mooney said. “It kind of feels like that’s been the deal all year long. We get all the way down there and don’t score. We have to find some ways … as a team ... everybody doing their job, getting points on the board.”

The most frustrating scenario came against the Broncos on Nov. 17, when the Falcons reached the 1-yard line twice only to have penalties set them back.

“I think we did a better job collectively playing penalty free (against the Chargers),” Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom said. “Staying on track and moving the ball. I just think, I always look introspectively, make sure the pocket is clean so that (the quarterback) has time. Being able to run the ball when we get down in there. When we get those opportunities, we have to capitalize.”

The Falcons are looking for answers.

“It’s not always going to be pretty,” backup quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said. “At the end of the day, we have to go back to the drawing board.”