Falcons' O-Line Struggles Evident in Loss vs. Lions
It was a defensive battle for much of the game on Sunday, but the Atlanta Falcons caught the brunt of those difficulties in a 20-6 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff out-dueled the Falcons' Desmond Ridder at Ford Field as the pair put up 243 and 201 yards through the air, respectively, despite an interception thrown by Goff. The telling stats, however, came down to the trenches from Atlanta.
Ridder was sacked seven times in the loss, good for a loss of 62 offensive yards. Atlanta as a team only accumulated 44 yards on the ground, including just 33 from rookie running back Bijan Robinson who put up over 100 yards last week in a comeback win over the Green Bay Packers.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder tackled by Detroit Lions defensive lineman Benito Jones.
The Falcons' passing game, to put it simply, did not look sharp on Sunday afternoon, even when Ridder had time to throw. He averaged 5.3 yards per completion and only had a QBR of 70.2.
Days like these happen in the NFL, especially with a young quarterback and running back duo on offense, but the concerning takeaway for Falcons fans should come down to the offensive line. The Lions offense was able to move the ball efficiently, but Atlanta only surrendered 20 points which is not an insurmountable amount in today's offensively-driven league.
If your quarterback is pressured all day and there are no running lanes, however, putting 20-plus points on the board becomes nearly impossible, as evidenced by Sunday's loss.
The Falcons will try and lick their wounds and head across the pond next Sunday for a date with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kickoff from Wembley Stadium in London is slated for 9:30 a.m.
