It’s pretty simple, yet somehow very difficult at the same time to figure out why the Falcons can’t win a game in which they outplayed their opponent in every conceivable way.
On Sunday, Atlanta won both the time of possession battle, 33:48 to 26:12, and the turnover battle, 3-0, yet still somehow lost a game in which the team scored 39 points. It’s the kind of loss that only the NFL’s most depressing franchises — the Browns, Lions and Falcons — can really ever suffer.
Following the game, quotes from the players and coaches will sound irritatingly familiar to fans. The problem is that there isn’t much to say after a loss of this magnitude — to the Cowboys of all teams.
Don’t blame Calvin Ridley, though. Atlanta’s third-year wide receiver caught seven passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s contest. Ridley route-running was breath-taking at times, so it’s tough to imagine how disappointed he is after such a dominant performance.
Per Falcons beat reporter Kelsey Conway, Ridley said the team just has to win following the team’s last-second loss in Dallas:
Calvin RIdley: We just have to win.
— Kelsey Conway (@FalconsKelsey) September 20, 2020
Calvin Ridley: That's our win, we've got to close that game.
— Kelsey Conway (@FalconsKelsey) September 20, 2020
Ridley now has 239 yards and four touchdowns in two games this season. Falcons All-Pro WR Julio Jones said he believes there’s nothing the young receiver can’t do.
Julio Jones: There’s nothing @CalvinRidley1 can’t do.
— Kelsey Conway (@FalconsKelsey) September 20, 2020
Apparently, the only thing Ridley can’t do is get his team a victory, even on his best day. It goes to show how much more goes into winning than just talent.
Something must change soon or the Falcons will wake up 1-7 again like last season. For head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, it’s just not good enough for the team to be competitive this year.
