Atlanta Falcons Stock Up, Stock Down as Season's First Quarter Ends

Which Atlanta Falcons are rising and falling after the season's first four games?

The Atlanta Falcons (2-2) are prepared to return home Sunday for a Week 5 matchup with the Houston Texans (2-2) inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, officially kicking off the season's second quarter.

The first quarter netted mixed results for the Falcons (2-2), who won a pair of home games against the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers to start the year but have been outscored 43-13 over the last two weeks, one a road loss to the Detroit Lions and the other a defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

There are still many questions to be answered, and the fate and direction of this year's Falcons remains unclear.

But so far, here's a look at who's rising - excluding veteran standouts such as Jessie Bates III, David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett - and who's falling after a quarter's worth of evaluation ...

Stock Up: Bijan Robinson

It almost feels like Robinson should fall into the category of Bates III, Onyemata and Jarrett considering he entered the year with such lofty expectations, but considering his rookie status, he still earns a spot here for delivering.

The draft's No. 8 overall pick has been nothing short of brilliant through four weeks, taking 53 carries for 318 yards and catching 19 of 22 targets for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Robinson is on pace for 1,351 rushing yards and 1,921 total yards from scrimmage, both of which would break franchise rookie records by considerable margins.

Atlanta's offense has totaled 1,137 yards of offense this season. Robinson has accounted for 452 of those yards, or 39.7 percent. He's been the most consistently productive player on the Falcons' offense and is quickly ascending into a legitimate face of the franchise as a rookie, more than following through on the hype.

What's Been Said: “When you’ve got a player like Bijan that's friendly to the quarterback – pick your poison," coach Arthur Smith said. "You want to bail out of there? Got a guy underneath. You can get 1-on-1s. He looks like Allen Iverson with the ball in his hands sometimes.”

Stock Down: Desmond Ridder

Entering this season looking to prove he could be the franchise's long-term solution under center, Ridder has struggled in several key facets and played a central role in Atlanta's inability to get off to fast starts.

To date, Ridder has completed 74 of 119 attempts (62.2 percent) for 744 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions while adding 47 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He's also fumbled three times.

During his eight career starts, the Falcons have scored just 49 first half points. This season, that number is only 19.

Ridder's been hesitant and unable to push the ball vertically, and he leads the NFL in turnover-worthy plays with 10. Unlike Robinson, Ridder hasn't delivered on the preseason optimism.

What's Been Said: "Surprisingly, he's one of the guys on the sidelines still telling guys 'Let's go.' Really rare to see out of a young quarterback," tight end Jonnu Smith said. "I don't have to say much. It's so easy when things are going well - of course you want laughing and smiles, but when things hit the fan, you find out who that man really is. He's consistently encouraging us through those dull moments."

The Falcons' offense hasn't lived up to expectations thus far / USA Today

Stock Up: Jonnu Smith

Much of the attention on Atlanta's tight ends room has gone towards Kyle Pitts' slow start, but little has been made of Smith's early impact.

Thus far, the 28-year-old leads the Falcons in receiving yards with 179 while hauling in 15 of 20 targets. These numbers only become more impressive when considering he didn't receive a target in Week 1, meaning all of his damage has come in the past three games.

There was an expectation that Jonnu Smith would take a step forward in Atlanta, as he's reunited with Arthur Smith after the two shared four successful years together with the Tennessee Titans.

That expectation has come true, as Smith is on pace to best last season's totals in targets, receptions and yards by the halfway point of this year, significantly raising his stock.

What's Been Said: "Jonnu is somebody that's made plays in big-time games, and he's been good," Arthur Smith said. "Jonnu is a great catch-and-run player. We got a big yardage on the screen play (against the Green Bay Packers) and some of the stuff he got out in the flat, he's hard to tackle. Glad he's here.” 

Stock Down: Kyle Pitts

As mentioned above, Pitts has drawn plenty of attention nationally for his slow start, as he's caught only 11 of 21 targets for 121 yards. He's yet to post more than 44 yards in a game.

This isn't the bounce-back campaign many hoped for after a down 2022 that was cut short due to injury, but it's important to stress that it's far from entirely his fault.

Pitts has the lowest catchable target rate in the league, per Fantasy Points Data, a direct indictment on Ridder and the continuation of a problematic trend from last year. He's also still not entirely healthy, Arthur Smith revealed.

But nonetheless, Pitts was the highest-drafted tight end in league history and earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie. He's proven he can play and produce at a high level, but he simply hasn't been able to return to form quite yet.

What's Been Said: “There’s no perfect timetables, but there are certain things that you see him doing really well right now," Smith said. "There are certain things that have been a journey back that he’s going to get there. I’d hate to put percentages on it, but you have to acknowledge that – I thought (vs. Jacksonville), there were some things outside where he looked as fast as he did as a rookie. So, it’s getting close.”

Stock Up: Nate Landman

This nod could easily go to Atlanta's defense as an entity, as coordinator Ryan Nielsen has the unit sitting top-10 in a number of categories.

But Landman gets the nod here, as he's impressed in two starts for the injured Troy Andersen, collecting 16 tackles and one tackle for loss this season.

Smith has praised his physicality several times, while both Nielsen and assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray said there were talks of three-linebacker looks to get Landman on the field with Andersen and Kaden Elliss prior to the former's injury.

Undrafted out of Colorado in 2022, Landman's ascension in place of Andersen has been a critical development for Atlanta's defense and has rapidly changed his career arc.

What's Been Said: “He’s an instinctive football player," Smith said. "He’s heavy-handed. He’s smart. All of the things you look for.”

Stock Down: Kaleb McGary

Like Landman, McGary is essentially a representation of the play of the unit around him - but instead of an improved Falcons defense, it's a regressed offensive line.

Ridder's been sacked 16 times. Atlanta allowed just 39 sacks last year but is on pace to hit 68 by the end of this season.

After a strong 2022 that he turned into a three-year, $34.5 million contract this spring, McGary has allowed six pressures, two sacks and an additional hit on Ridder across 152 pass blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

The Falcons need better play not only from McGary but the entire line, though the 28-year-old's struggles do feel like a microcosm of the group's overall performance.

What's Been Said: “I think overall the protection, I think we had some good pockets (against Jacksonville)," Smith said. "I do, but the numbers are what they are. You can chop them up and say, ‘Ok, 11 in two games. It’s all on the O-line.’ That’s never the case in offensive football. So, you take them all differently, but acknowledge too that nobody wants to take that many sacks, but how they happen are all different.”