Atlanta Falcons have to consistently get the ball to Calvin Ridley
If the Atlanta Falcons offense is going to start clicking, they have to start including their young star receiver, Calvin Ridley, in the offense on a more consistent basis.
Through the Atlanta Falcons four games this season, Ridley has accumulated 16 catches for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Through the first two games of the season, he caught two touchdowns on 12 catches for 169 yards. Over his last two games, he has only caught four passes for 38 yards and no touchdowns.
These numbers are ridiculous for a player as talented as Calvin Ridley and as offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter has to do a better job of getting him more involved in the offense on a consistent basis. Not just Ridley either, but the offense as a whole has to start playing better.
One of the biggest problems right now is the Atlanta Falcons can’t run the ball, therefore they can’t set up the big play or the play-action pass. Last season against the New Orleans Saints, Ridley torched the defense for 146 yards and three touchdowns on seven receptions because they threw the ball down the field consistently and accurately.
The longest reception this season by an Atlanta Falcons receiver is 54 yards by Julio Jones on the game-winning screen pass against the Philadelphia Eagles. There is no reason why a receiving corp as talented and explosive as the Atlanta Falcons can’t get open downfield or even run routes more than 20 yards down the field.
Ridley’s longest reception so far this season is only 34 yards. Even when they are able to get down the field, the pass is rarely ever completed. It is frustrating to watch knowing that this team has arguably the best receiving corps in the league, as well as one of the best young receivers in the league in Ridley, yet they aren’t being used properly or consistently enough.
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This team has to open the offense up, otherwise, the team will finish the 2019 season with one of the worst scoring offenses in the league. As of now, the team is only averaging 17.5 points per game, good for 26th in the NFL. Scoring in high numbers and utilizing the offenses talents are what made the team successful in 2016, and it is what will make them successful once again.