4 Atlanta Falcons that let their team down in ugly road loss

1. Arthur Smith

The Atlanta Falcons head coach was plenty confident at halftime that the offense would get rolling and the game was still within hand. That confidence was obviously misplaced and the game fell out of hand in the 4th quarter when the offense still couldn't get anywhere close to a capable drive.

For Smith, this is very simple why are you not running the ball and taking the pressure off Desmond Ridder? If you didn't know this team's identity and watched the game you would think it is Ridder and the passing game or bust.

Yes, the pass protection and quarterback must improve for this team to win, however, there is no harm in basing your offense on the run game until that happens. This is especially true when you have Allgeier and Robinson both in the backfield. Neither player was given enough chances to get going and time to put together drives that would give the defense much-needed rest.

The Lions beat Arthur Smith at his own game relying on winning in the trenches on both sides of the ball and controlling the clock with long drives. Smith's approach and confidence cost Atlanta this week and need to be adjusted ahead of a tough game in London.