Although the Atlanta Falcons have show at times in the first quarter of the season being a team capable of winning the middling NFC South, they are going to need to score more than seven points in a particular ballgame. Atlanta fell to Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars across the pond on Sunday morning, 23-7. Three Desmond Ridder turnovers absolutely wrecked the Dirty Birds today.
Despite dropping their last two games to the Jaguars and the Detroit Lions before that, there are reasons why Atlanta was not favored in either game. Jacksonville won a playoff game last season. Detroit was arguably the best team that did not make the NFL postseason a year ago. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities left for the Falcons to right the ship, at least regarding their offense.
While special teams have been hit or miss all season long, this has been one of the better defenses I have seen in Atlanta in recent memory. That side of the ball is keeping the Dirty Birds in games. However, that upstart unit cannot afford to lose the turnover battle and expect to be in games with greater regularity. Something has got to give for the Falcons, and there is work to be done on offense.
So with that in mind, there is plenty of blame to go around, especially towards these three Falcons.
Atlanta Falcons lose to Jacksonville Jaguars in London: 3 people to blame
3. Drake London did not make the most of all his targets in this ballgame
Look. From an offensive standpoint, somebody had to be third. One and two are so beyond painfully obvious, but we should put some of the blame on second-year wide receiver Drake London. While he did score the Falcons' lone touchdown of the day early in the third quarter, he did not make the most of his seven targets. He had just three receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown catch in the game.
Yes, he may be the Falcons' No. 1 wide receiver, but there were a few plays he should have been able to make to help elevate draft classmate Desmond Ridder's game. One play in particular comes to mind. With the game going down to the wire, London was unable to get his second foot down on a fourth-and-medium in the red zone for six points. It would have brought the game within one score.
To me, there has been more good than bad out of London in his first 20 or so games in the NFL. He is being asked to do a lot in a passing offense that continues to leave a lot to be desired. However, London needs to do a better job of asserting himself in one-on-one situations. His NFL comp coming out of USC was Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans. Evans would have made the catch...
Other Falcons receiving targets came up short in this one, but London's high usage was problematic.
2. Arthur Smith has not found away to make his young offensive pieces fit
Admittedly, it is getting harder and harder to defend Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. The former offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans is trying his damnedest to bring the ground-and-pound offense most closely associated with the Mike Vrabel era in Nashville. Two years and change in, and we are left with more headaches and questions than we have results or things to cheer about.
Yes, Dave Ragone may be the offensive coordinator, but this is Smith's scheme. While pounding the rock has been a recipe for success in Atlanta at times over the last few years, it can be rendered useless when the game speeds up and turnovers become very much part of it. Far too often, we see the Falcons offense be behind the eight ball, frequently setting up not-so-advantageous situations.
A lot of this could have to do with forcing easy completions for Ridder to make that amount for little to no yardage. He may like to throw the ball down the field, but Atlanta feels like it is always at a disadvantage whenever Smith dials up a play that requires Ridder to sling it. Every time I look up, the Falcons are in second or third-and-long situations. You cannot play winning football in those spots.
Smith needs to figure out how to make the pieces fit before Halloween, or this could be rough for him.
1. Even more so than the Lions defeat, this loss is on Desmond Ridder
While Desmond Ridder has still yet to lose a home start in his pro or college career dating back to his days playing for Luke Fickell at Cincinnati, Sunday was another rough day at the office for him away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ridder completed 19-of-31 passes for 191 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in defeat. He also lost a fumble late in the game that put this one so far out of reach.
I understand that he and the Falcons offense are going through growing pains in the early part of this season, but this has been the side of the ball that general manager Terry Fontenot has invested the most draft capital into. His three first-round picks from inside the war room were tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. All three men can play, but can Ridder?
Look. Ridder is a likable guy, but Dirty Bird Nation is losing faith in him pretty quickly. Not to say the offense will be markedly better with backup Taylor Heinicke running it, but the gap between the two quarterbacks is closing, and cannot be by much at this point. The next two games are critical for Ridder. They are at home vs. beatable teams in the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders.
Ridder's lack of ball security could end up costing someone's job security over at Flowery Branch.
