Atlanta Falcons week two rookie report

While the Atlanta Falcons’ week two comeback attempt may have fallen short one of the more exciting aspects of it was the fact Drake London was yet again the heart of the Atlanta passing attack. Despite having veteran receivers on the roster and second-year tight end Kyle Pitts it is obvious that Mariota’s primary target is the rookie receiver.

London finished the game with 86-receiving yards and his first touchdown of the season. Drake was the most impressive rookie for Atlanta on Sunday and the only one to make a clear impact.

Tyler Allgeier received his first chance at cracking the rotation and was underwhelming in his debut with 30-rushing yards and averaging only 30-yards per carry. While the offensive line wasn’t great at creating space for Tyler he lacked a burst or an ability to shake the first tackler on Sunday. It was far from an indictment on Allgeier but it also wasn’t a great start for a player who is going to be expected to make an impact with Damien Williams now on the IR.

Arnold Ebiketie was unable to build on last week’s performance failing to jump-start a pass rush that struggled in week two finishing the game with two tackles and a very forgettable second game for the Falcons.

While Drake certainly deserves some consideration as Atlanta’s best rookie in week two Troy Andersen should receive those honors for making a play that allowed Atlanta to block a punt and return it for a touchdown to pull within six and give the offense a chance to win the game.

Without Troy’s play, this game is never as close as it was and the Atlanta Falcons don’t have the golden opportunity they squandered to upset the Rams.  Andersen and London made it a great week for Atlanta’s rookie class that will continue to improve and make an impact this season.