Falcons Struggle in London

The Falcons lost 23-7 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.

For the Falcons this is their second consecutive loss after falling to Detroit last week. The big problem that marred the struggling team this week was the lack of offensive explosiveness. Second year quarterback Desmond Ridder put up his worst career NFL game throwing interceptions on back to back plays, with the first being returned for a touchdown. Ridder finished the game with 191 passing yards, one touchdown and three turnovers, the two interceptions as well as a lost fumble.

Star running back Bijan Robinson was able to excel on the ground rushing for over 100 yards. Wide receiver Drake London caught the Falcons only touchdown of the day. Big offensive weapons like Kyle Pitts and Tyler Allgeier were essentially non-factors in Sunday’s performance.

The Jaguars were able to take advantage of the lack of focus on defense throughout the game. Former Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was able to exact his revenge, as he caught a touchdown from quarterback Trevor Lawrence early. However, the Falcons saw some improvement throughout the game, stopping the Jaguars from going up two scores early with a big fourth down stop. Edge rusher Bud Dupree and defensive lineman Calais Campbell came up with big plays to keep the Falcons within striking distance.

In the end the Falcons couldn’t overcome the offensive woes that have harmed the team. With the lack of productivity on offense, many on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, are calling for Desmond Ridder to be benched for backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Head coach Arthur Smith spoke on this, stating that there are no plans for this to occur.

The Falcons will look to regain some form of offensive identity back home in Atlanta as they take on CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans this week on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Mercedes Benz Stadium.