In that 2014 season, Sarkisian had QB Cody Kessler, WR Nelson Agholor, and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster all playing like first-round talents. There they ran a mix of pro-style run and pass concepts out of spread formations. They utilized play action at the sixth-highest rate in the entire country (35.8 percent of passes), leaning heavily on receiver screens and run-pass options.
Philosophically, that all aligns with where Atlanta has been trending under OC Kyle Shanahan the past two seasons. And that’s likely the most important factor in this hire. It’s obvious that the Falcons have a good thing going, and the organization does not want to start back at square one. The only two starters on Atlanta’s offense set to hit free agency—right guard Chris Chester and tight end Levine Toilolo—are also the two lowest-graded starters on the offense. It’s a risky move, considering that the last time Sarkisian donned a headset in the NFL was all the way back in 2004 when he was the quarterbacks coach for the Raiders, but at this point, the Falcons were likely left with few options in their coaching search.