The Atlanta Falcons followed up last week’s win with a disappointing 24-16 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The Falcons scored on their opening drive but they would fail to reach the end zone again until the fourth quarter.
Offensive struggles have been the major theme of Atlanta’s 2023 season thus far, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. From Desmond Ridder‘s inconsistent play at quarterback to Arthur Smith‘s questionable play-calling, the Falcons can’t seem to put together a complete performance on offense.
The defense continues to be the strength of this team. Despite some first-half struggles, the Falcons got stops when they needed them in the second half. Check out our studs and duds from Week 6 below.
Stud: Calais Campbell
The 16-year NFL veteran finally recorded sack No. 100 for his career during Sunday’s loss. Campbell is still holding out for a Super Bowl, but he said he didn’t want to retire until he got his 100th career sack. Campbell has been a welcome addition to Atlanta’s defensive line this season. Getting to the Super Bowl feels like a bit of a stretch unless the offense gets back on track.
Dud: Desmond Ridder
Fans were hoping to see Ridder build off of last week’s win, and the second-year QB got off to a good start on Sunday. The offense marched down and scored a touchdown on the opening possession. However, Ridder fell apart in the second half. He threw three costly interceptions, including one that would essentially end the game in the fourth quarter. Ridder’s decision-making has got to be better going forward if he wants to keep his job.
Stud: Drake London
Falcons wide receiver Drake London finished the game with a career-high 125 receiving yards on nine catches. London has played like a top-10 pick over the last two weeks and he continues to get a little more involved in each game. If not for an underthrown ball by Desmond Ridder, London would likely have caught the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to six points in the fourth quarter. Thus far in 2023, London has 26 catches for 329 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Dud: Arthur Smith
There was no reason for the Falcons to go for two points following Jonnu Smith’s touchdown. The decision to go for it, and the subsequent failure of the attempt, proved costly as it added unnecessary stress to the offense afterward. The overall dysfunction of the offense starts with Smith. Fans are rightfully frustrated with Ridder, but coach Smith deserves an equal share of the blame as the team’s play-caller.
