Atlanta Falcons

Calvin Ridley may be suiting up for a different team than the Atlanta Falcons next season.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network provided an update on the situation Saturday, noting the Falcons "are still holding out hope that they will have Calvin Ridley for this upcoming season." However, he also said there hasn't been much communication between the sides and tweeted that he believes there is "a very strong possibility" the wide receiver will be traded this offseason.

Garafolo called his assessment an "educated prediction" that Ridley will be on a different team next season.

In October, Ridley tweeted he would step away from football to "focus on my mental wellbeing. This will help me be the best version of myself now and in the future."

That came after he missed Atlanta's trip to London for Week 5 and a Week 8 game because of personal matters.

The Alabama product became an immediate contributor for the Falcons after they selected him with a first-round pick in the 2018 draft, posting 10 touchdowns as a rookie and seven scores in his second season.

He then became one of the best receivers in the league in 2020, racking up 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. That he put up those numbers playing alongside Julio Jones for much of the season made them all the more impressive.

Ridley seemed poised to maintain his spot among the league's top wide receivers, especially with Jones on the Tennessee Titans this season. However, he appeared in just five games.

If he is traded, a number of teams figure to get involved in the sweepstakes.

After all, he is just 27 years old and under contract through next season. Whether it is a team with a young quarterback that needs a go-to option, such as the Chicago Bears, or another contender that could use another receiver alongside young playmakers, such as the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, there should be a number of squads interested.             

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank will miss his first game as the team's owner on Sunday after testing positive for COVID-19, per the team.

According to that announcement, "Blank is doing well and is in great spirits, experiencing only mild symptoms at this time. Blank is fully vaccinated and has received his booster shot, and encourages others to do so."

Blank, 79, has owned the Falcons since 2002. In that time, the team has made eight playoff appearances and one Super Bowl berth, famously losing to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI after blowing a 28-3 lead. 

He also owns the MLS' Atlanta United and co-founded Home Depot in 1978. 

The Falcons (7-9), who have already been eliminated from playoff contention this season, will face the New Orleans Saints (8-8) on Sunday. The Saints could still make the postseason with a win and a San Francisco 49ers loss. 

While the Falcons appear to be in need of a rebuild around young players like rookie tight end Kyle Pitts, don't expect to see the team move on from veteran quarterback Matt Ryan this offseason:

The direction Blank takes the Falcons in the future remains to be seen. In the present, he'll miss his first game as team owner while he quarantines. 

The coronavirus pandemic remains a storyline for NFL teams as the omicron variant has come to the forefront in the winter months. Between Dec. 1-27, the league put 521 players on its reserve/COVID-19 list. In all of last season, 428 players went on that list. 

As Ben Roethlisberger's career in Pittsburgh likely winds down, the Steelers could target Matt Ryan as a short-term replacement.

“Matt Ryan is a name that would intrigue me,” a league executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic. “You are rebuilding in Atlanta. If you can get a decent package for Matt Ryan, do you do it? He’s a Pennsylvania guy, albeit from Philly. The Falcons would save cash. That one is interesting. You probably get [three-to-four] years if you are Pittsburgh. I don’t see [Mike] Tomlin as a blow-it-up, total-rebuild type.”

The Falcons can save $23.8 million on their salary cap if they trade Ryan after June 1 or $8.1 million if they move him before then. Ryan has not been much of a step up from Roethlisberger this season, throwing for 3,555 yards and 19 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. He's thrown for over 300 yards only once since Calvin Ridley left the team for personal reasons in October.

Roethlisberger has failed to lead the Steelers on a touchdown drive in the first half of each of their last five games, the first time the franchise has done so since 1940. Pittsburgh is coming off an ugly 36-10 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that saw the team's only touchdown come in garbage time late in the fourth quarter.

Roethlisberger has not said whether he plans to retire at the end of the 2021 season, but he signed a one-year deal last offseason that signaled a make-or-break campaign. 

The Steelers (7-7-1) and Falcons (7-8) are on the outside looking in of the playoff picture. 

The New England Patriots earned their fifth straight win with a 25-0 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.

Rookie quarterback Mac Jones threw for 207 yards, a touchdown and an interception to lead New England, which improved to 7-4. The Patriots also remained undefeated in road games at 5-0.

Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy had a huge game with two sacks and a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Atlanta fell to 4-6 after its second straight loss. Matt Ryan threw for 153 yards and two interceptions, and he was replaced by backups Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks for the final two minutes of the game. Both Rosen and Franks threw interceptions on their lone possessions.

It's just the second shutout loss of Ryan's 14-year career, and he remains winless against New England. The Falcons were without versatile running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who sat out because of a sprained ankle.

Notable Stats

Mac Jones, QB, NE: 22-of-26 for 207 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Nelson Agholor, WR, NE: 5 receptions, 40 yards, 1 TD

Kyle Van Noy, LB, NE: 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 35-yard INT return for TD

Matt Ryan, QB, ATL: 19-of-28 for 153 yards, 2 INT

Mac Jones' Efficiency Leads to Victory

Jones' numbers Thursday don't pop off the page, but his efficiency is what was most impressive. He finished the first half with just one incompletion and spread the ball around to multiple receivers.

The dink-and-dunk nature of the Patriots passing attack might be boring, but the safe game plan worked wonders for Jones. He ran into trouble when he tried to throw downfield into traffic.

The New England offense is conservative, but it has proved to be hard to stop. In addition to Jones' efficient night, the Patriots ran the ball 30 times for 134 yards to control the line of scrimmage.

A balanced attack seems to be the winning formula for New England. With the defense clicking on all cylinders, it takes a ton of pressure off of Jones and the offense. The Patriots look to be a legitimate contender in the AFC despite having a rookie quarterback.

Falcons Offensive Line Struggles Against Patriots Pass Rush

It wasn't the Falcons' night, which might have been foreshadowed by the three-hour, 28-minute partial lunar eclipse set for Thursday night. No, seriously, it's the last time we'll see a partial lunar eclipse of that length for 648 years.

Atlanta's offense struggled throughout Thursday's game, mostly thanks to an abysmal performance by the offensive line.

Ryan was under duress the entire night. The rare times that the Falcons offense got any momentum going, an ill-timed sack put an end to it. Midway through the second quarter, Atlanta drove down into the red zone, but Ryan was sacked by Van Noy for a big loss. Younghoe Koo then missed the 50-yard field-goal attempt.

Matthew Judon, the Patriots' prized free-agent signing this offseason, got in on the action to set a new career high with 10.5 sacks this season. Right tackle Kaleb McGary struggled to keep him contained all night.

After A.J. Terrell's interception gave Atlanta some life midway through the third quarter, the Atlanta offense stalled with a turnover on downs. The Falcons needed one yard to move the chains and came away empty, as the offensive line couldn't get a push on third or fourth down.

Ryan was visibly frustrated and yelled at his teammates on the sideline. The 36-year-old veteran later floated an ill-advised pass while under pressure that got picked off by Devin McCourty.

The Falcons tried to adjust by playing uptempo and getting the ball out quickly, but it didn't help. Thanks to the offensive-line woes, Atlanta averaged just 3.2 yards per play. Ryan took four sacks and 12 quarterback hits on 32 dropbacks.

The Falcons will have to shore up their protection if they hope to avoid another lost season. Patterson's eventual return will help open up the offense, but things won't change if the team gets bullied in the trenches like it did Thursday. Atlanta is on the verge of missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

What's Next?

The Patriots will go for their sixth consecutive win on Nov. 28 at home against the Tennessee Titans. The Falcons will look to bounce back that same day on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson reportedly could miss a couple of weeks with a sprained ankle, according to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. 

Per that report, "Patterson is still having his sprained ankle evaluated, but it doesn’t sound optimistic for Thursday night against the New England Patriots, per source."

Patterson, who has spent most of his career as a wide receiver and return specialist, has been a revelation for the Falcons in a running back role this season. He's been arguably Atlanta's best offensive player, posting 303 rushing yards and two scores while adding 39 catches for 473 yards and five touchdowns. 

"CP is capable of, with the ball in his hands, pretty much anything on the field," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told reporters Monday, ahead of a matchup with the Falcons on Thursday Night Football. "He's a tremendous player... He's a very competitive player and he's got a very good and explosive skill set. He's a problem."

Losing the 30-year-old for any amount of time would be a major blow for a 4-5 Falcons team still holding on to playoff hopes, especially considering the team is already without wideout Calvin Ridley, who is away from the team indefinitely for mental health reasons.  

Patterson didn't make an appearance in the second half of Sunday's 43-3 blowout loss against the Dallas Cowboys, though head coach Arthur Smith downplayed any injury concerns when speaking to reporters Monday:

Patterson was also listed as a limited participant in Atlanta's estimated injury report—the team didn't actually practice—on Monday. 

The Dallas Cowboys improved to 7-2 with a 43-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Fans were expecting a positive response after the Cowboys experienced an emphatic defeat to the Denver Broncos in Week 9.

The Falcons (4-5), on the other hand, see some of their momentum stalled after having won three of their last four games. Atlanta has yet to climb above .500 this season.

This contest was effectively decided by halftime. The Cowboys piled up 265 yards in the first half and jumped ahead 36-3.

Notable Performers

Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys: 24-of-31, 296 yards, two touchdowns; two carries, five yards, one touchdown

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: 14 carries, 41 yards, two touchdowns; three receptions, 15 yards

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys: six receptions, 94 yards, two touchdowns

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons: 9-of-21, 117 yards, two interceptions

Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons: four receptions, 60 yards

All Gas No Brakes in First Half for Dallas

The Cowboys had five drives in the first half. Here's how they each ended: touchdown, punt, touchdown, touchdown and touchdown. This resembled a college game where Dallas decided to schedule a Group of Five or FCS school as a midseason tuneup.

Whatever message head coach Mike McCarthy communicated after the Broncos game resonated with his players.

CeeDee Lamb not only outscored the Falcons through the first two quarters, but his 94 receiving yards also eclipsed Atlanta's total output (89 yards).

The Cowboys have seen plenty of skilled pass-catchers walk through the door. The second-year wideout is quickly putting himself in that group.

On the other side of the ball, it might be time to put Trevon Diggs on some sort of interception tracker. Night Train Lane owns the single-season record (14), and Diggs is now more than halfway there with eight games remaining.

Considering Lane has held the record since 1952, the Cowboys cornerback probably won't get there in the end, but he may present a stiff challenge.

Falcons Grounded Early

At least Atlanta sports fans can fire up replays of the 2021 World Series to cheer themselves up.

To say this wasn't the Falcons' day doesn't describe how badly things went in the first half. The final minute encapsulated how it was a case of Murphy's law in action.

Atlanta got the ball with 1:10 on the clock following Lamb's second touchdown grab. A strip-sack by Micah Parsons led to a loss of nine yards on first down, and the next two plays yielded one total yard.

On fourth down, Dorance Armstrong blocked Dustin Colquitt's punt and Nahshon Wright fell on the ball in the end zone for a score. Not content to take a 32-point lead, McCarthy decided to go for two when a penalty allowed Dallas another shot on its point-after attempt.

It seems pretty clear Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was carrying a chip on his shoulder after being fired by the Falcons. Luckily for Atlanta, it won't be running into Mike Smith or Jim Mora anytime soon.

During the Detroit Lions' bye, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn symbolically buried the film of their Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. That might be a smart idea for Atlanta's coaching staff in handling Sunday's heavy defeat.

What's Next?

The Falcons have a short week as they host the New England Patriots on Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET. The Cowboys hit the road for a date with the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 21 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley will miss at least three more weeks as he continues to take care of his mental health.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Falcons put Ridley on the non-football injury list on Friday. 

The 26-year-old missed Atlanta's Week 5 game against the New York Jets in London due to undisclosed personal reasons. Ridley was ruled inactive once again in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers, and he announced during the game that he was stepping away from football to "focus on his mental wellbeing."

In five games this season, Ridley has caught 31 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Alabama product entered this year as the Falcons' No. 1 wide receiver following the offseason trade of Julio Jones, and he was named a team captain for this season. 

The 6'1", 190-pounder enjoyed the best season of his three-year career in 2020. He was named second-team All-Pro after recording career highs of 90 receptions and 1,374 yards, his first 1,000-yard season.

Without Ridley in the lineup, Atlanta will likely get creative with its passing attack. Rookie tight end Kyle Pitts has emerged as a go-to option for quarterback Matt Ryan. Pitts leads the Falcons with 484 receiving yards.

Cordarrelle Patterson has been a versatile weapon for Atlanta, playing a combination of running back and wide receiver this season. Patterson has a team-high five receiving touchdowns. He will likely see more passes coming his way in Ridley's absence.

Atlanta Falcons star Calvin Ridley announced Sunday he will step away from football after being inactive for his team's game against the Carolina Panthers:

Ridley was a surprise inactive for Week 8, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting the receiver will not play because of a personal matter. 

The wideout was also inactive in Week 5 for the same reason, per Schefter, missing the team's trip to London. 

The 26-year-old has 31 catches for 281 yards and two scores in five games this season.

There were high expectations for Ridley entering the year after a breakout 2020 in which he totaled 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns. He was projected for even better numbers in 2021 after the Falcons traded star receiver Julio Jones, allowing Ridley to become the true No. 1 option.

The 2018 first-round pick is now stepping away indefinitely after a relatively quiet start to the season.

The announcement comes after Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson opened up about his depression and anxiety on Fox NFL Sunday:

The Pro Bowler missed three games this season because of a personal issue before returning in Week 7. 

It isn't often an NFL player resets what we think we know about a position, while simultaneously raising the bar for every player drafted after him at said position. 

It even isn't all too often a highly drafted player meets or exceeds the expectations of his draft slot. There were already borderline unreasonable expectations on Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts entering the 2021 season because he was the highest-drafted tight end ever. The idea he would also be the next great offensive weapon while changing the position for everyone after him seemed nearly impossible. 

Yet early in his career, Pitts might be on the path to doing just that. 

Over his first six games as a pro, Pitts has caught 31 of his 44 targets for 471 yards and one touchdown, for 15.2 yards per catch. This is despite a slow start in which he had over 50 yards in a game once over his first four outings. 

Then Pitts erupted in his fifth game, catching nine passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in a win over the New York Jets. He followed that up with seven more grabs for 163 yards in a win over Miami. That made him the youngest tight end in league history to have 150-plus yards in a game, among other accolades, as noted by ESPN's Field Yates: 

It isn't that Pitts is putting up wild numbers for his position, so much as it is the how he's doing it. He's consistently lined up on the outside or in the slot at spots traditionally reserved for wideouts. And he's putting world-class athleticism and a 6'6", 246-pound frame to work in a way that defensive backs can't handle. 

And this isn't necessarily a case of "defenses will adapt and put an end to it in time." Not when he's already cooking some noteworthy defenses that try to press him, as Pro Football Focus' Anthony Treash showed: 

Sunday's Miami game featured Pitts toasting Xavien Howard, a first-team All-Pro corner last year, for a 28-yard gain in single man coverage. Howard won't be the first major name to fall victim to the anomaly that is Pitts this year. And the attention from an elite defender negates any "he put up big numbers against bad teams" argument that detractors might point out. 

Over his two major showcase games, Pitts ran routes on 71 of 91 dropbacks from Matt Ryan, with 20 snaps inline and 76 either on the boundary or in the slot, according to Establish The Run's Adam Levitan. And he's making it all look seamless, whether it's jumping for a catch with his massive radius or even falling one way while bringing in the ball on his back hip. 

Pitts has been exceptionally reliable no matter when he gets a look...or who he gets it from. Per PFF, he hasn't dropped a pass since 2019 while he was still a member of the Florida Gators. 

This realization of Pitts' rare draft stock seemed almost impossible and felt like it had zero chance of happening during his rookie season. 

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein was effusive in his praise of Pitts in the leadup to the draft: 

"While the player comparison for the purposes of this scouting report is Darren Waller, Pitts may have the traits and talent to create mismatches similar to those created by Calvin Johnson and Tyreek Hill. His rare blend of size, athleticism and ball skills are reminiscent of Megatron's. His ability as a pass-catching tight end could force defenses in his division to alter the way they construct their roster. He's a tough matchup for most linebackers and too big for most cornerbacks."

Pitts isn't the first tight end to run some routes outside of his traditional spot. For instance, Waller has thrived with the Las Vegas Raiders when moved around the formation and is arguably the game's best tight end, or was entering this season. 

But nobody, Waller included, has the blend of size and athleticism Pitts presents. Had these numbers been predicted preseason, most would have agreed they would be impressive if he was doing it while defenses worried about Julio Jones elsewhere on the field. 

But Jones is gone, and Pitts is the No. 1 receiver now, especially given Calvin Ridley has already missed a game and only has 281 yards. Former wideout-turned-running back Cordarrelle Patterson is second on the team in receiving with 296 yards.

Pitts seems to know he's part of an evolution at the position when asked about it by reporters, per ESPN's Michael Rothstein.

"I would think the whole position now kind of shifted to hybrid," Pitts said. "Tight ends around the league are kind of doing everything, in-line, in the slot, outside, back side, two-by-one. I would consider myself a tight end. But I would say the position has kind of changed."

Pitts won't say he's leading the charge, of course. But it was inevitable this would happen to the position, just as it was inevitable all safeties gradually needed to have skills historically only held by the "free" spot or all running backs needed to be able to catch the ball well. 

What's scary about Pitts, for everyone but the Falcons at least, is that he's just 21 years old and hasn't even played half a pro season. He's still learning the playbook and everything that comes with being a professional. 

That Pitts is already forcibly accelerating progression at the tight end position while leaving a line of confused opposing defenses in his wake and giving future opponents anxiety is proof enough he's matching the hype of his draft slot as the league's next great offensive weapon.