Weeduncs.com

            Amidst a plethora of issues for the Falcons this Sunday, Desmond Ridder stuck out as particularly bad.

            The second year QB was too slow going through his progressions against an injury-depleted Lions defense that blitzed frequently. Against the blitz, good NFL quarterbacks make quick reads and get the ball out fast. The opposite was the case for Ridder, who held the ball way too long. His accuracy was insufficient as well, highlighted on a crucial fourth down late in the game where he overthrew an open Drake London for a turnover on downs.

            Ridder also struggled to move in the pocket to avoid the pass rush, not stepping up into open lanes to either run the ball or buy more time to find an open receiver. Detroit’s seven sacks may seem like an indictment of Atlanta’s offensive line, but Ridder is equally culpable for the number of drive-killing sacks.

            The running game never got going either. Coach Arthur Smith’s vaunted running game averaged 4.8 yards per carry (YPC) over the first two weeks of the season, but only yielded 2.2 YPC in week three against the Lions. Running Backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier had few opportunities to pass the line of scrimmage without a defender in their face. To the Lions credit, their defenders aggressively beat Falcons blockers to the spot, clogging running lanes.

            Detroit’s defensive game plan was clear: Make Ridder beat them. It was well executed by a unit that was without both starting safeties, among other injuries.

            Atlanta’s defense was a bright spot, in a turn of events from the past decade. Led by safety Jessie Bates III, the Falcons defense earned stop-after-stop against a strong Lions offense. Despite not registering a sack against Lions quarterback Jared Goff, the Falcons unit held the Lions to only four third down conversions out of 14 attempts. Bates III snagged his third interception in as many games on one of many plays that saw Goff take a brutal hit from Falcons defenders.

            Goff’s performance was basically the opposite of Ridder’s this game. His stat line was far from gaudy, but he is deserving of the utmost respect for delivering accurate passes while being clobbered by Atlanta’s defensive tackle duo of Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata.

            The Falcons head to London next week to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are 1-2 on the season and are coming off a brutal home loss to the sparsely-talented Houston Texans. Jacksonville’s defense struggles to pressure opposing quarterbacks, which will hopefully enable a Desmond Ridder bounce back game. Their offense runs through passes over the middle of the field, an area the Falcons cover with Jessie Bates III. There is reason for the Falcons to be optimistic and hopefully get their season back on track with a win overseas.