Trailing 28-3 in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Rams, the Atlanta Falcons could have laid down. Instead, the team fought until the end and nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback.
While the end provided some hope as Atlanta possessed the ball in scoring position with a chance to take the lead in the final two minutes, the truth is the team played poorly for three quarters of Sunday’s game. The hope is that the closing moments will inspire confidence going forward, but for now the Falcons are 0-2.
Here are the positives and negatives from Sunday’s 31-27 loss in Los Angeles.
The team showed fight
The Falcons could’ve easily rolled over when the deficit was sitting at 28-3. However, the players showed heart and determination to fight back against the defending Super Bowl champions and give them a scare. After a few quick stops, a blocked punt returned for touchdown, and a forced fumble, Atlanta was somehow back in the game.
While the comeback didn’t end up happening in the end, there is a reason to be hopeful after seeing the team claw its way back against a superior opponent.
Mariota should be concerned for his job
Marcus Mariota was never a long-term solution when he was brought in after trading Matt Ryan. This became even more evident when the team selected Desmond Ridder in the third round of the NFL draft. However, after making critical mistakes in Week 1, Mariota again showed why he can’t be the long-term solution, and should possibly be seated sooner.
While he did some good things, as Arthur Smith highlighted after the game, the quarterback sailed a few passes and threw an interception in the game’s biggest moment. When you have the size the Falcons do at wide receiver and tight end, that should make it easier for the QB to hit his targets. Mariota’s off-target throw even played a role on his first interception, which was bobbled by Cordarrelle Patterson before being picked off by the Rams.
Drake London is WR1
Early on, Drake London looks like the player we thought he would be, and in some ways, even better than advertised. London scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on a quick slant. Through two games, London has been targeted a team-high 19 times with 13 receptions and 160 receiving yards. London missed nearly all of training camp, so it’s a good sign that the big-play wideout looks comfortable this early in the season.
We thought Kyle Pitts would be the team’s undisputed No. 1 option on offense, but it’s been London stepping up so far.
Kyle Pitts needs to be more involved
Arthur Smith is supposed to be a coach who flourishes by scheming guys open. However, after two games, the Falcons have targeted Kyle Pitts 10 times, seven of which came in the first game. Pitts finished with 19 yards in Week 2, as he did in Week 1, but with three targets and just two catches.
Smith has stated before that even when Pitts doesn’t get targeted, he still opens up other parts of the offense. This is because defenses respect the threat he brings and frequently scheme him out of the play. Still, the team drafted him in the top five for a reason. If the Atlanta was winning, it would be easy to let this go, but after two losses, Pitts needs to be more involved.
Arthur Smith when asked about Kyle Pitts lack of targets: "It's not fantasy football. We're just trying to win."
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) September 18, 2022
