Although the Atlanta Falcons have show at times in the first quarter of the season being a team capable of winning the middling NFC South, they are going to need to score more than seven points in a particular ballgame. Atlanta fell to Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars across the pond on Sunday morning, 23-7. Three Desmond Ridder turnovers absolutely wrecked the Dirty Birds today.
Despite dropping their last two games to the Jaguars and the Detroit Lions before that, there are reasons why Atlanta was not favored in either game. Jacksonville won a playoff game last season. Detroit was arguably the best team that did not make the NFL postseason a year ago. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities left for the Falcons to right the ship, at least regarding their offense.
While special teams have been hit or miss all season long, this has been one of the better defenses I have seen in Atlanta in recent memory. That side of the ball is keeping the Dirty Birds in games. However, that upstart unit cannot afford to lose the turnover battle and expect to be in games with greater regularity. Something has got to give for the Falcons, and there is work to be done on offense.
So with that in mind, there is plenty of blame to go around, especially towards these three Falcons.
Atlanta Falcons lose to Jacksonville Jaguars in London: 3 people to blame
3. Drake London did not make the most of all his targets in this ballgame
Look. From an offensive standpoint, somebody had to be third. One and two are so beyond painfully obvious, but we should put some of the blame on second-year wide receiver Drake London. While he did score the Falcons' lone touchdown of the day early in the third quarter, he did not make the most of his seven targets. He had just three receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown catch in the game.
Yes, he may be the Falcons' No. 1 wide receiver, but there were a few plays he should have been able to make to help elevate draft classmate Desmond Ridder's game. One play in particular comes to mind. With the game going down to the wire, London was unable to get his second foot down on a fourth-and-medium in the red zone for six points. It would have brought the game within one score.
To me, there has been more good than bad out of London in his first 20 or so games in the NFL. He is being asked to do a lot in a passing offense that continues to leave a lot to be desired. However, London needs to do a better job of asserting himself in one-on-one situations. His NFL comp coming out of USC was Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans. Evans would have made the catch...
Other Falcons receiving targets came up short in this one, but London's high usage was problematic.