The Falcons put up another stinker in Week 4 after a pitiful performance in Detroit last week. This time, it came in London as the Atlanta offense continues to spin its wheels.
It’s become a serious problem that Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder cannot start fast or get the ball to their top 10 picks in Kyle Pitts and Drake London. The Falcons are averaging less than five first-half points in what has become one of the most predictable offenses in football.
As expected, the club fell down the media’s NFL power rankings.
CBS
22nd (17th last week)
“Desmond Ridder is struggling, coming off a bad game against the Jaguars. How much longer does he have to turn it around?”
NFL.com
21st (17th last week)
“The goodwill stockpiled after a 2-0 start has diminished as the offense has gone cold. Desmond Ridder’s ball security and accuracy are concerns. Drake London doesn’t get the ball until the Falcons are trailing. Kyle Pitts hardly ever gets the ball. The league’s fourth-most expensive offensive line, per Over the Cap, has been whipped repeatedly by good pass rushes. Bijan Robinson is the one consistent producer, and it often requires him to do something special to make chunk plays. The whole offensive operation needs a post-London scrubbing, from top to bottom. Right now, Atlanta is asking too much from a respectable defense to make up for the offensive shortcomings.”
ESPN
22nd (16th last week)
“The Falcons, with five sacks, are not bringing quarterbacks down — a familiar lament from the past few seasons. It’s a problem, but a smaller one for an otherwise efficient unit. Even the sack numbers aren’t as big of a deal as in prior years since the Falcons are pressuring quarterbacks on 30.2% of dropbacks and have a pass rush win rate of 45.2% — almost 10% better than last season.” — Michael Rothstein
Sharp Football Analysis
21st (17th last week)
“We identified the Lions and Jaguars as real tests for the Falcons and their style following the 2-0 start. It is safe to say they failed both miserably. Arthur Smith is standing by Desmond Ridder for another week, but it is fair to wonder how long that position will be tenable, especially with the defense playing well. Atlanta gets the surging Texans and C.J. Stroud this week.”
This is the NFL. Any given Sunday is a movie for a reason. The Falcons can get the train back on the tracks this weekend if they handle business at home. The Texans, who may be the surprise of the 2023 campaign, are coming off a drubbing of the Steelers. Atlanta has had success against rookie quarterbacks with wins over Jordan Love and Bryce Young; hopefully, that continues against C.J. Stroud this week.
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Photographer: Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
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