The Falcons did very little right in the first half against the Saints, but a strong second-half effort led by running back Tyler Allgeier helped give Atlanta a chance late in the fourth quarter.
Ultimately, the Falcons came up short during Sunday’s 21-18 loss to New Orleans, and rookie Desmond Ridder’s debut at quarterback was pretty underwhelming.
Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s NFC South showdown.
1
Falcons defense struggles early following Dean Pees injury
Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees was injured during pregame warmups and had to be taken to the hospital following a collision with a player. This left LBs coach Frank Bush to step in as defensive coordinator. The defense struggled on the Saints’ first two drives, allowing two easy touchdown passes. However, this unit played better from that point on and helped Atlanta stay in the game while the offense figured things out. A late fourth-down stand gave the Falcons one final chance to tie, but they came up short.
2
Desmond Ridder gets off to slow start
When Ridder missed each of his first four pass attempts, somewhere Marcus Mariota had to be smiling. The rookie settled in as the game went on, but his numbers weren’t great. Ridder threw for 49 yards in the first half, and less than 100 overall. He completed 13-of-26 passes for 97 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 59.3. Ridder added 38 rushing yards on six attempts, but he also took four sacks. It doesn’t look pretty, but the rookie showed some poise down the stretch and it’s WAY too early to rush to judgement.
3
Tyler Allgeier: The new RB1?
Allgeier was the most efficient running back by far on Sunday, and he may have cemented himself as the team’s true No. 1 option going forward. The rookie stole the show on Sunday, rushing for a career-high 139 yards with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Allgeier averaged an insane 8.2 yards per carry, and was undoubtedly the team’s most impressive rookie in Week 15. For the season, Allgeier has 743 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
4
Drake London's big day ends in disaster
London had four catches for 41 yards in the first half alone. Ridder seemed to have chemistry with London right from the jump. On the biggest play of the game, Ridder found London for a fourth-down conversion but London fumbled the ball and the Saints recovered. It was a crushing moment for the rookie wide receiver, however, his connection with Ridder is an encouraging sign for this Falcons offense. London finished the game with seven catches on 11 targets for 70 receiving yards.
5
What's next for Atlanta?
In Week 16, the Falcons will be on the road again when they take on the Baltimore Ravens. After losing to the Browns on Saturday, the Ravens are desperate for a win as they fight for the AFC North title. QB Lamar Jackson was out in Week 15, but he could be back in time for Saturday’s game.
