Calvin Ridley softened the initial blow that came with trading Julio Jones away because he finished the 2020 season as the Falcons’ lead receiver with 90 catches, 1,374 yards, and nine touchdowns. When Terry Fontenot exercised his fifth-year option, the entire fan base breathed a deep sigh of relief as one of their top players was locked up for the foreseeable future.
The Falcons offense was going to be predicated on getting the ball to Kyle Pitts and Ridley while trickling in the rest of the pass catchers — Hayden Hurts, Russell Gage, and Cordarrelle Patterson. However, that hasn’t been the case. Pitts has dealt with defensive coordinators bracketing him, rarely ever letting him see the same look twice, and Ridley has been underwhelming in some big moments.
For the second straight week, Ridley has completely riled up the fan base with frustrating play. Against the Giants, he looked unwilling to turn upfield on a critical third down. This past week, he dropped a catchable ball over the middle of the field after being hit by a Washington defender.
There are murmurs among the fan base that Ridley is afraid of contact because of these specific plays, but the woes don’t stop there. He had multiple drops that were undoubtedly catchable balls for someone of Ridley’s caliber. He caught seven of 13 targets for 80 yards in Sunday’s 34-30 loss to Washington.
Ridley has led the team in targets and catches in back-to-back weeks. His volume of targets will eventually result in a 100-yard, multi-touchdown performance, but right now, the Falcons need more out of him. Arthur Smith reiterated this point about the fourth-year receiver.
#Falcons coach Arthur Smith on Calvin Ridley play: “Up and down…We expect more from Calvin. He’s one of our top guys.” pic.twitter.com/3w7gdMPYex
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) October 4, 2021
Ridley is still an excellent player and shouldn’t be doubted, but the drops that occurred against Washington are concerning. He isn’t some big-bodied receiver that can go up and make 50/50 catches or take a bubble screen the length of the field for a touchdown. He’s a finesse route runner who wins with elite agility and acceleration. Dropping passes when you’re known for route running and catching everything thrown at you is a problem. However, I fully expect Ridley to put all these comments of toughness and focus to bed in the coming weeks.
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