Atlanta Falcons: Highs and Lows for Week 2 vs the Dallas Cowboys
By Deen Worley
Week 2 Highs
Takk is important
No matter how the rest of the season unfolds, there is no denying the fact that Takk elevates the play on the defensive side of the ball. Takk left the game with a groin injury in the first quarter after being an integral part of the Atlanta Falcons 20-0 jump at the start.
After his injury in the first half, there was a noticeable drop in production that allowed Dallas to go on a 24-9 run to bring them back into the game. Steven Means and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner took over the snaps for the injured Takk, and while there really isn’t anything negative to say about their performance, you could just tell that Takk’s pressure from early on was missing with those two.
With Dak having all the time in the world, it’s no wonder they were able to come back.
Austin Who-per
Former Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper was a fan favorite in 2019 and was the key guy fans wanted to return to Atlanta in 2020. Two games into 2020, and now we are asking Austin Who? While Hayden Hurst didn’t have a monster Week 1 game, outside of his diving catch, Week 2 showed just how comfortable he fits in Atlanta.
Hurst opened his account in Atlanta with a massive 42-yard play where he crept behind the Dallas defense and was completely unaccounted for. Hurst closed the day as the Atlanta Falcons second receiver with 72 yards on 5 catches.
Ridley is a number 1 receiver
Calvin Ridley again showed why the Atlanta Falcons drafted him to play behind Julio Jones. It’s been a mission of Ridley to finally eclipse 1,000 yards in 2020, and based on his showings in Weeks 1 and 2, his goal can finally be achieved this season.
Ridley ended the day with 7 catches with 109 yards and two scores. It’s hard to deny the fact that Ridley would be the number one option on a vast majority of NFL teams, and the Falcons should be lucky to have him now. The future cost to retain Ridley could be too high for Atlanta’s low cap space.
Quinn continues to be aggressive
After going 0 for 4 on 4th down conversions in Week 1, you would be able to understand if Dan Quinn played more conservative in those situations today. However, the stat line 0 for 4 isn’t telling of the whole story. The Falcons converted on a fake punt, but a fumble by Sharrod Neasman after the line to gain, negated the conversion. Another fourth down play saw the ball go through Calvin Ridley’s fingers.
Quinn continued his aggressive mentality and this time it was to the benefit of Atlanta. The Falcons went two for two on fourth down plays. However, his aggression wasn’t realized when the hand’s team refused to jump on the football.