The Falcons continued their downward spiral in Week 4, losing to the Jaguars in London to fall to 2-2 on the season. After a promising 2-0 start to the season, the team is in danger of dropping below .500 next week.
There’s plenty of blame to go around after Sunday’s 23-7 loss, although some deserve more than others. There were also a few positive performances worth highlighting. Here are the studs and duds from Week 4.
Stud: Bijan Robinson
It’s not up for debate when people say that Bijan Robinson is the best player on this Falcons roster. We see time and time again how effective he is with the football in his hands, whether it be as a receiver or running back. Against the Jaguars, the rookie carried the ball 14 times for 105 rushing yards. Robinson also added another 32 receiving yards on five catches. After three games, Robinson has 318 rushing yards on 6.0 yards per attempt.
Dud: Desmond Ridder
Week after week, it’s clear that things are just not working with Ridder at quarterback. The team has struggled to put up points and the offense has failed to sustain drives all season. In the last two games alone, the offense has a combined 13 points and Ridder hasn’t looked comfortable in either outing. On Sunday, he threw for two interceptions and lost a fumble. Ridder’s pick-six put the team in a 17-0 hole in the first half.
Stud: Jonnu Smith
This shouldn’t be an offense where Jonnu Smith is ever the leading receiver. However, you have to give credit to Smith because he’s consistently been a reliable target for Atlanta this season. Against the Jaguars, Smith finished the game with 95 receiving yards on six receptions — nearly three times more than anyone else on the team. He averaged 15.8 yards per catch in Week 4.
Dud: Kyle Pitts
Something seems to be up with Kyle Pitts lately, and it’s not like teams are taking him away on every offensive snap. Perhaps it’s the poor play at QB, Pitts cannot get the football. In the first four games this year, Pitts has finished with receiving totals of 44, 15, 41, and 21 yards. His five catches for 41 against Detroit was the best performance since Week 8 of last season. Going back to last year, Pitts only went over 45 yards twice in the 10 games he appeared in.
Stud: Nate Landman
A few weeks ago, it would have been hard to imagine any scenario in which Nate Landan was starting at middle linebacker. The former undrafted free agent has filled in admirably for injured linebacker Troy Andersen in two starts this season. With Andersen out for the year, it’s good to see Landman stepping up. On Sunday, he finished second on the team in tackles and got some pressure on Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence.
Dud: Tyler Allgeier
Allgeier didn’t get a ton of touches in Week 4, but he hasn’t been effective when he does carry the ball lately. The team’s early struggles have forced the offense to pass the ball more. As defenses continue to load boxes on defense, Allgeier hasn’t had as much running room. On Sunday, the second-year back rushed for 16 yards on seven carries, with one catch for a loss of four yards.
