3 Atlanta Falcons players that must improve in week five
By Nick Halden
2. Jalen Mayfield is a danger to Matt Ryan if his performance doesn’t drastically improve
The eye test said Jalen Mayfield was the worst player on the field for Atlanta on Sunday. He was little more than a standing roadblock directing defensive traffic to the Atlanta quarterback. If he doesn’t improve quickly and drastically Atlanta needs to bench the guard.
Getting their quarterback hurt would make an ugly season drastically worse and the chances of that happening are higher as long as Jalen Mayfield is attempting to block for Ryan.
Atlanta has a great chance on Sunday to give Mayfield a chance to prove he is improving against a bad Jets team. They lack a great pass rusher, giving Mayfield a chance to prove he can hold his own against average pass rushers.
If he is unable to improve this week there should be no question as to what Atlanta should do. Benching Mayfield should already be on the table, if it isn’t it certainly will be if he struggles against the Jets.
A team Atlanta should beat, though whether they will or not is certainly arguable considering this team appears to be headed down a familiar road. One that may end with Mayfield benched if he can’t improve on Sunday.