The Atlanta Falcons (5-10) have officially been eliminated from the playoff race following Saturday’s 17-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens (10-5).
Despite a significantly better showing from rookie QB Desmond Ridder, a 14-0 first-half deficit was too much for the Falcons to overcome. Here are four takeaways from Atlanta’s 10th loss of the season.
1
Ridder shows improvement, offense sputters overall
After being held under 100 passing yards in his debut, Ridder was pretty solid in his second NFL start. He completed 22-of-33 pass attempts for 218 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 85.2. The Falcons accumulated just 35 yards on their first 15 offensive plays. After trailing 14-3 at halftime, the offense operated with better efficiency in the second half. Critical mistakes and an inability to score in the red zone came back to haunt the team on Saturday.
2
Drake drops another one
Ridder got off to a slow start, but like last week, his biggest completion of the game was fumbled away by fellow rookie Drake London. Atlanta’s first-round pick has had an issue hanging onto the ball this season, but he’s been dangerous with the ball in space. Perhaps a lack of opportunities has caused London to try and do too much. London has now lost three fumbles this year. On the bright side, London finished the game with seven catches for 96 receiving yards. The rookie has 699 receiving yards for the season, including 166 since Ridder took over as QB.
3
Playoff hopes disappear
Arthur Smith had a rough day, both in calling plays and dealing with the poor officiating. Adding insult to injury, the Panthers and Saints each won to eliminate the Falcons from the playoffs with two games remaining. After a promising first half of the season, Atlanta is now officially the worst team in arguably the worst division in the NFL this season. Realistically, though, this Falcons team has been a lot better than most anticipated coming into the year.
4
What's next for Atlanta?
The Falcons head home to Atlanta for an NFC matchup against the Arizona Cardinals (4-10). For the second week in a row, Atlanta will face a team without its starting quarterback. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is out for the year, so it will likely be Trace McSorely under center for Arizona in Week 17.
