Better Days Ahead? Tyler Allgeier, Falcons Rookies Impress in Loss vs. Saints
The Atlanta Falcons (5-9) arrived at Caesars Stadium with the mindset that Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints (5-9) was a must-win, and ultimately fell shy of the goal, falling 21-18 in what marks their fifth loss in the last six games.
But not to be lost in the madness of the frustrating defeat is the impact Atlanta's rookie class made, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Headlined by quarterback Desmond Ridder's first professional start, Sunday felt like the start of a new era of Falcons football - and the early returns were mixed.
Ridder had what can best be described as a rookie day, evidently battling nerves early before settling down and showing flashes of the player Atlanta believes he can be. The 23-year-old finished 13 of 26 for 97 yards, no touchdowns and no turnovers while adding 38 yards on six carries.
While all eyes were on Ridder, the story of Atlanta's offense was fifth-round rookie running back Tyler Allgeier, who had a career-high 139 rushing yards on 17 carries, along with scoring his second professional touchdown. When the Falcons needed a big play, Allgeier delivered - time and time again.
Sticking with the trend, rookie receiver Drake London had another fine afternoon, catching seven passes for 70 yards on 11 targets ... but on his final reception - a critical conversion on 4th and 5 just ahead of the two-minute warning - the ball was knocked free from his hands and into the waiting arms of Saints safety Justin Evans.
But the offensive trio doesn't quite tell the whole story.
Second-round inside linebacker Troy Andersen made his second start of the season, replacing Mykal Walker. Andersen didn't make many splash plays but finished with seven tackles, the second-most on Atlanta's defense.
Furthermore, both of the Falcons' young outside linebackers, Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone, made impact plays, as Ebiketie logged one tackle and generated pressure on Saints quarterback Andy Dalton while Malone recorded his second-career tackle for loss.
Ultimately, the story of the game should be that the Falcons came up short in a game they had to have - but not to be overlooked is the team's rookie class growing up each and every week.
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