In their last appearance which was prime-time, the Atlanta Falcons displayed both some highlights as well as some flaws, as their players were unable to perform at the same level throughout the game. Prime-time matchups are always filled with moments worth remembering and pivotal decisions, more so in this game.
There were some Falcons players who rose to the occasion, while some failed to deliver when it was most needed. Even though the squad was unable to perform as a unit, there were a few noteworthy individual displays. In this case, much more attention is paid to their work on the attacking side of the game as opposed to the defenses.
Essentially, the focus shifts to the quarterback. Some of the throws his teammates were actually able to catch in their efforts to correlate the two or in this case what worked together to produce the outcome of the game. Another key player was tight end Kyle Pitts, whose most relevant statistic was his ability to find space to receive a pass. He was a nightmare for the defense with his combination of size and speed, and he showed exactly why he is ranked as the best player in his position.
Studs: Atlanta’s Top Performers
On the contrary, there was an edge rusher named Grady Jarrett who was very good on defense. He applied pressure on the quarterback, thus not allowing the opponent’s offense to operate as smoothly as possible, causing it to rush its plays. While the team struggled on the offense, his ability to penetrate the backfield gave spine to the Falcons’ defense.
Duds: Areas That Need Improvement
The Falcons had their moments of glory in the Thursday night football game but some of the many flaws in the team were also highlighted by the performance. The offensive line, most especially, did a poor job in adequately shielding the Riddler from the pressure, which in turn, led to a number of sacks and relentless pressure throughout the contest. Therefore, without sufficient protection, Ridder could not find his groove and in turn, the offense was ineffective.
Running back Tyler Allgeier, who had been dependable in previous games, could not get going. His failure to penetrate the line of defense also played a significant role in the team’s inability to score. As for the defense, the secondary struggled to defend against easy deep passes, thereby giving up crucial yards and allowing significant plays that ultimately lost the match to the Falcons.
The most recent primetime encounter for the Atlanta Falcons had a mixture of optimism and despair. Some players such as Desmond Ridder and Grady Jarrett, made good shows, however, the team’s overall shortcomings, especially in the offensive line and secondary, must be fixed if they are to have a chance in similar pressure situations in the future. The Falcons can add to their positives and replicate their prime-time efforts to climb the success ladder.
