Falcon Report

Falcons Got Most of Drake London Return Despite Loss

The Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver didn't miss a beat in the loss to the Patriots on Sunday
Arkesh Ray|
Drake London put on a major performance in his return for the Atlanta Falcons
Drake London put on a major performance in his return for the Atlanta Falcons | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons got Drake London back for their Week 9, 24-23 loss to the New England Patriots. Drake London made his return to the gridiron, and it shows in the offensive performance. The entire Falcons offense on Sunday, explosive, physical and dominant.

The fourth-year receiver ended the game with nine receptions for 118 yards and his first career hat trick. He was unstoppable, regardless of who covered him, making amazing play after amazing play. Both of his first two scores showed the receiver's jump ball ability; if the ball is in his vicinity, he will come down with it.

London’s first touchdown came with time winding down in the first quarter, with the Patriots up by seven. A beautifully placed ball, and London went over the defender to come down with the score. 

His second touchdown was even more impressive. Down 14 with less than 20 seconds to go in the half and no timeouts, the Falcons desperately needed a score. London made a nice adjustment for the ball to make it a one-possession game heading into halftime.

London’s third and final touchdown of the game was the most ridiculous. A one-handed catch in the endzone, that should have tied the game at 24 each, had kicker Parker Romo not missed the PAT.

London wasn’t beating nobodies. He had a huge 40-yard catch on All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez. The corner was flagged for illegal contact, but it didn’t matter. London still came down with the ball.

“We talked about uncommon effort last night and that’s what he came out and did,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said following the loss.

He reminded everyone why he’s Atlanta’s wide receiver one, reigniting an offense that looked lifeless just a week ago. 

“He’s a special player, a special person,” Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said. 

Through Sunday’s 1 p.m. games, London is currently ninth in the NFL in receiving yards (587) and tied 10th in touchdowns (five) despite playing in just seven games.

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Arkesh Ray
ARKESH RAY

Current senior at the University of Georgia in pursuit of a Sports Media Certificate at UGA's Carmichael Sports Media Institute. I covered High School Sports as an intern for the Marietta Daily Journal and used to host my own radio show "Peach Empire Sports" where I got to talk football with Mohamed Sanu. I am a huge football and basketball fan and enjoy baseball, although not as much as the other two sports. I love sports and wish to share my passion with others through the written media."

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