The Atlanta Falcons fell to 2-2 on the season following Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a 2-0 start, the team has dropped two straight games due to an offense that seems to sink lower each week.
Rookie Bijan Robinson continues to be the only thing that works on the offensive side of the ball, while the Falcons wasted another solid defensive effort. Here are 10 takeaways from Sunday’s loss in London.
1
Ridder's rough day puts team in bad spot
The Falcons went six quarters without scoring a touchdown until Drake London’s third-quarter catch got the team on the board. Desmond Ridder has been criticized a lot this year, but he had his worst game as a pro on Sunday. The former third-round pick threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. If he’s not going to be a threat to throw the ball down the field, Ridder can’t afford to turn the ball over. With high-priced backup Taylor Heinicke sitting on the bench, Ridder better step up his game soon.
2
Bijan's big game
Robinson continues to be the offense’s lone bright spot. The rookie rushed for 105 yards on 14 carries (7.5 yards per attempt) and added five catches for 32 yards. Despite the consistent production of Atlanta’s lead back, the team continues to struggle to move the ball when anyone else touches it. Robinson now has 318 rushing yards after four games. It’d be nice if the offense could turn the rookie’s success into some easy play-action passes to one of the team’s other top-10 picks.
3
Ridley's redemption
Ridley didn’t have a huge game, but he got the Jaguars on the board first by getting behind Atlanta’s defense for a 30-yard touchdown. Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell locked up Ridley for the rest of the game. Still, Ridley gets the win in his first game against the team that drafted him in the first round out of Alabama. He finished with two catches for 38 yards and a touchdown.
4
London scores in London
London finally got the Falcons on the board with his third-quarter touchdown catch. That score would be the team’s only points of the game, though. London nearly caught his second touchdown but couldn’t get his second foot in bounds. It hasn’t been a great season for London — 11 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns — but he’s clearly Desmond Ridder’s most trusted pass-catcher.
5
Offense has scored 13 total points over last 2 games
The Falcons nearly cut the deficit to six points, but even if they had, it wouldn’t have overshadowed the obvious problems with the team’s one-dimensional offense. Ridder’s interception aside, Atlanta has scored just one touchdown and 13 points total over the last two weeks. The Falcons’ biggest strength is their rushing attack, but they have called plays like a pass-happy offense with a Pro Bowl QB in their two losses. Arthur Smith called just 22 runs in Week 4 after calling 20 in Week 3.
6
Joker returns, gets zero touches
Patterson finally was active after missing the previous three games with a thigh injury. However, his lack of involvement on offense (zero rushing attempts) could be a sign he’s still not fully healthy. Patterson was back to return kicks but he did not get any good looks on Sunday. Perhaps he’ll be more involved next week.
7
Allgeier almost invisible
After opening the season with 75 rushing yards and two touchdowns, it looked like Tyler Allgeier was going to thrive sharing touches with Bijan Robinson. However, Allgeier’s production has gradually dipped over the last three games as his touches have gone down. On Sunday, Allgeier rushed seven times for 16 yards. This comes one week after his seven-carry, 12-yard performance against the Lions. Allgeier doesn’t have the elusiveness to make something out of nothing the way Robinson does when boxes are stacked.
8
Nate Landman steps up
Falcons linebacker Nate Landman got the start with Troy Andersen placed on the injured reserve list last week. Landman, a former undrafted free agent out of Colorado, played really well once again. He finished second on the team with 10 tackles (8 solo) in Week 4. The defense looks to be in good hands with Landman playing alongside Kaden Elliss. Again, this loss was not on the defense.
9
Injury updates: Alford avoids concussion scare
The Falcons didn’t appear to suffer any major injuries, but cornerback Dee Alford exited the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Atlatna’s starting nickel would return later in the game, though, so he should be fine going forward. Rookie cornerback Clark Phillips III was a healthy scratch in Week 4.
10
What's next for Atlanta?
The Falcons finally get to go home in Week 5 for a game against the Houston Texans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Texans are looking like a much tougher team than many anticipated this season. Atlanta will have to get things turned around quickly to avoid dropping to 2-3. Perhaps going back home will get the team back on track. The Falcons are 2-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2023.
Analysis: Falcons fall to Jags
