Atlanta Falcons Trail Jacksonville Jaguars After Desmond Ridder's Brutal First Half

A challenging first half from quarterback Desmond Ridder leaves the Atlanta Falcons facing a big deficit to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Atlanta Falcons will enter the locker room at Wembley Stadium in London with plenty of need for an honest self-evaluation, trailing the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-0 at halftime.

Perhaps the most pressing question for Atlanta is what to do under center, as quarterback Desmond Ridder had a brutal first half, completing nine of 14 passes for 73 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which was taken back to the endzone for a pick-six.

The Falcons have expressed plenty of confidence in Ridder, but this is now six consecutive quarters where his play simply hasn't been good enough.

Taylor Heinicke is Atlanta's backup, and any early move would be quite surprising considering coach Arthur Smith's 13-game commitment to Marcus Mariota last season.

But really, the Falcons' offensive issues extend beyond Ridder.

The rushing attack that was so potent last year as the league's third-best managed only 44 yards last week and has been limited to 26 yards on 11 attempts thus far by Jacksonville.

Rookie running back Bijan Robinson has been the lone bright spot for Atlanta's offense, catching four passes for 26 yards.

The Falcons' two other top-10 pick weapons, receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts, have only one catch apiece.

Defensively, Atlanta settled in after a slow start and made a key fourth-down stop deep in its own territory after Ridder's second interception.

Jacksonville's lone offensive touchdown came on a 30-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence to Calvin Ridley, who spent the first four seasons of his professional career in Atlanta before being traded last year during his season-long gambling suspension.

A wide-open Calvin Ridley gave Jacksonville the lead in the first quarter / USA Today

The Falcons were led defensively by safety Jessie Bates III, who made four tackles and a tackle for loss, and a strong pass rush that hit Lawrence six times and sacked him twice.

Atlanta will receive the ball to start the second half, seeking to answer many important questions that run beyond this individual performance.