Atlanta Falcons Lose vs. Tennessee Titans: 3 Takeaways

Three takeaways from the Atlanta Falcons loss to the Tennessee Titans and rookie quarterback Will Levis.

The Atlanta Falcons (4-4) lost on the road to the Tennessee Titans (3-4), led by rookie quarterback Will Levis 28-23. 

Here are three takeaways from Atlanta's loss ... 

Let the Quarterback Controversy Begin

After weeks of fans being upset with the up-and-down play of first-year starter Desmond Ridder, he finally went to the sidelines in the second half of this game after being evaluated for a concussion. 

While active, Ridder had a typical stat line for himself. He was sacked five times for a loss of 36 yards, went 8-12 passing, had 71 yards throwing, and ran three times for 26 yards, but lost a fumble. 

Desmond Ridder was on the sidelines as the Atlanta Falcons attempted to come back in the second half against the Tennessee Titans / © Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

From a physical standpoint, Ridder more than has the tools necessary to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. Still, it just hasn't translated to consistent smart football being played when he's on the field, as he's been responsible for as many turnovers as touchdowns. 

This season, Ridder has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions. He's also responsible for three rushing touchdowns and three lost fumbles. Football often comes down to who makes the fewest mistakes, and so far, Ridder hasn't proven himself capable of protecting the football consistently.

As for his backup, Taylor Heinicke, he performed well this game, at least moving the ball enough to score some touchdowns. Heinicke went 12-21, throwing for 175 yards and a touchdown. He ran twice for 14 total yards and was sacked once but still managed to be rated 20 points higher than Ridder when it came to passing in this game.

The team was more effective with Heinicke on the field, but only time will tell if he gets the chance to prove he can still be a starter in this league after his stint with the Washington Commanders.

Bijan is Back

Following a game where rookie running back Bijan Robinson's health was called into question due to a headache that limited him, he participated throughout this game and even had a career first.

Robinson scored his first rushing touchdown in this game, and there should be many more to follow it up based on how he's performed early this season. In this game, Robinson only had 11 rushes, but he still averaged 5.6 yards per carry and was targeted five times as a receiver, but didn't record a catch in this contest. 

Playing against a fellow Rookie of the Year candidate in Levis, Robinson wasn't the star of this game, but he still showed that he's already in the upper echelon of running backs in the league today. 

The Defense Needed to Step Up

There have been multiple times this season where it was the defense keeping the Falcons in games; this wasn't one of them. 

Atlanta is at its best when it plays smash-mouth football, running the ball and trying to win a low-scoring game. Facing a rookie in his very first career start, he picked the secondary apart, throwing for 238 yards and four touchdowns, all coming from 16 or more yards out. 

Perhaps the team underestimated how Levis could process the defense, but the team could have rattled him more if it had managed to get some more sacks against him. The Falcons only sacked Levis twice, and he made them pay by connecting with veteran star receiver DeAndre Hopkins for three touchdowns and 128 yards on just four receptions.

Although Heinicke provided a spark offensively, the defense must continue to be stingy against offenses for Atlanta to gel and have a chance at being a playoff contender.