ATLANTA: Calvin Ridley has pulled away from the Atlanta Falcons to deal with mental health issues, leaving behind a team that fully supports him, but also a way to plug a big hole in the passing game Must find out.
The Falcons (3-4) got a glimpse of the challenges they faced in their 19-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. With the Panthers blanketing rookie tight end Kyle Pitts with two or three defenders, Matt Ryan had few other options in the passing game.
The result was one of the worst games of the 36-year-old quarterback’s career. Ryan held on for 146 yards, scoring the fourth-lowest total in a full game in his 14 seasons, and threw some significant interceptions into the Carolina field.
Ryan admitted that it was hard to achieve anything without Ridley on the field.
He is a great player, the QB said. He has the ability to stretch the defence, and is quick in his cuts.”
Ridley had an unexpected scratch shortly before kickoff. As was the case when Ridley missed an October 10 game against the New York Jets in London, the Falcons would only say that he was dealing with a personal matter.
But Ridley opened up in a social media post during the game.
Ridley wrote on Twitter, “These past few weeks have been very challenging and as much as I want to compete with my teammates on the field, I need to stay away from football and focus on my mental well-being for the time being.”
Ridley’s coach and teammates said they supported his decision to tackle an issue more important than football. There’s no indication when Ridley might be back.
In the meantime, the Falcons will have to make some tough decisions about their receiving corps, especially as the NFL trade deadline ends Tuesday afternoon.
It’s like any other injury. things come to the fore.
The five receivers played against the Panthers are an inspiring team of late-round and undraft players who have combined for 37 catches, 387 yards and two touchdowns. Russell Gage is the only player to catch more than 50 passes in an NFL campaign, but he has just nine catches for 95 yards in four games this year.
Ryan completed 20 of 27 passes against the Panthers, but it was mostly a bunch of dinky throws. The longest pass play was an 18-yard run for back-slash-receiver Corderell Patterson.
what is working
Patterson continues to provide a versatile weapon in the offense. He rushed in five passes for 37 yards, including the Falcons’ lone touchdown, and reached 35 yards on nine carries.
With Mike Davis playing a large role in the ongoing games (nine carries, 44 yards), the Falcons were dominant on the ground (4.1 yards per carry) but did not get enough chances as Carolina dominated the possession game.
what help do you need
With quarterback Sam Darnold struggling badly during a four-game loss, Carolina came to Atlanta with the intention of running the ball.
Even though the game plan quickly became clear, the Falcons could do nothing to stop it. The Panthers threw fewer yards than Atalanta (129), but ran on 47 injured carries for 203 yards.
Carolina made 22 more plays (72–50) and took advantage of more than 10 minutes of possession time (35:23–24:37).
to accumulate
LB Dion Jones had another big game with 14 tackles (10 singles) and a forced fumble on the first game of the game which resulted in a field goal from the Falcons.
stock down
Ryan was having a brutal day. In addition to his modest passing numbers and two picks, he was sacked three times and had to play a game while wearing a black glove on his non-throwing hand and as a result had a bad cut that continued to bleed until he taped it.
injuries
No major injuries were reported after the game. Ryan’s cut looked bad, but it wouldn’t matter going forward.
key number
The Falcons’ record at 0-3 Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a trend they will have to reverse to have any chance of success this season. Going back to 2020, they have lost five consecutive home games. Maybe it’s a good thing that they travel to New Orleans on Sunday to face the Saints.
Next Step
The core that gets the highest priority when Ridley is out is to grow. The only way to make significant improvements is through a trade, but it is doubtful that the Falcons’ rebuild will plow the future for a short-term boost.
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