Atlanta Falcons: Studs and duds from Week 15 vs. Buccaneers
Stud: Calvin Ridley
Going into the Week 15 matchup against Tampa Bay, Atlanta once again found out that it would be without Julio Jones in the game while dealing with more injury issues that have become a common occurrence for the star wide receiver here in 2020.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
With Jones out, Calvin Ridley was relied upon to step up in the receiving game yet again, and he did just that as he has done all year long to this point. In the game, Ridley finished with 10 catches on 14 targets, hauling in 163 yards through the air along with one touchdown.
Ridley has continuously shown that he has the ability to step into a No. 1 receiving role on the roster in Atlanta, and it makes you think if the Falcons end up thinking it could be time to part ways with the injury-prone Jones in the future.
Dud: Pass defense
Over the first half and the opening two quarters of the game, the Falcons defense did a relatively decent job in holding Tom Brady and the Buccaneers passing attack in check for the part and without a score.
In the second half, however, that changed rather fast.
By the end of the game, the Falcons allowed the Buccaneers to throw for 31 completions on 45 attempts, tallying a total of 390 yards and two touchdowns through the air. You knew Brady and company would try and air the ball out in the second half to climb back into the game, and the Falcons allowed them to do just that on Sunday.