The Atlanta Falcons' Week 4 matchup will take place across the pond, in London, England, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It will be the first international game of the 2023 NFL season, with Wembley Stadium selected as the setting. This will be a game where both teams are coming off a loss, in need of a victory.
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The Falcons started off the season red-hot, beating the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers at home. Last week, however, they didn't fare so well. Facing a gritty Detroit Lions team at Ford Field, they suffered a very convincing loss, only scoring two field goals and no touchdowns. Now, the number of miles traveled will be much farther, and the competition will be one that is currently searching for answers.
The Jaguars came into this season as the favorites to win the AFC South division. From top to bottom, they have the most experience and talent to accomplish that. Yet, they're 1-2 and tied for second in the division currently. This isn't how the Jaguars hoped to start their season. The Falcons are just hoping Jacksonville's losing streak will continue through this week so they can add to their win column. Let's now delve into Falcons Week 4 predictions.
4. Falcons struggle with Calvin Ridley
I'm sure former Falcon Calvin Ridley would have loved to play this game in Atlanta, but that won't be the case. Whether there's any bad blood or not with Atlanta, typically when players face their former teams, they show out. The Falcons have been one of the best teams against the pass this season, but they did bend a little last week when they faced Jared Goff.
Goff was the best passer the Falcons have faced, throwing for almost 250 yards, the most any team has thrown against them this season. The Jaguars are ninth in the league in yards per game. Trevor Lawrence has found one of his favorite receivers in Ridley, who is third in receptions and tied for first in yards for the Jaguars. This could be a big day for Ridley, much to the Falcons' dismay.
3. Falcons struggle running the ball again
The Falcons were held to just 44 yards rushing against the Lions. Running the ball is the epitome of the Falcons' offensive philosophy. If that wasn't already apparent with them selecting Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick in this year's draft. But you have to believe that head coach Arthur Smith knows what he has in his quarterback, Desmond Ridder.
When running the ball became non-existent last week, it was then left to Ridder to move the ball down the field. Not that the Falcons' offensive line did him any favors at times, but he held onto the ball too long, taking seven sacks and throwing inaccurate passes to his receivers. The Falcons could face similar issues with the Jaguars in Week 4 as they are top-10 in most statistics against the run, including seventh in yards allowed per game. Robinson and Tyler Allgeier will need to make the most of their opportunities this Sunday.
2. Kyle Pitts finally scores
Let's be honest here—nothing makes sense as to why the Falcons can't figure out how to utilize their prized tight end out of Florida. Kyle Pitts was an absolute stud coming out of Gainesville and was a well-received pick for Atlanta fans when he was drafted. But the Falcons have done little with him. That trend is continuing into this season.
Maybe it's the scheme. Maybe it's quarterback play. Maybe it's both. Still, Pitts is too talented of a tight end not to find ways to get the ball to him. With as much as the Falcons could once again find trouble running the ball this week, finding a game plan that gets the ball to guys like Pitts might be a necessity. The thing is, it should always be a necessity. Let's hope Pitts finally hits paydirt for the first time this season.
1. Falcons lose in London
This will be the third time the Falcons have played in the United Kingdom. They're 1-1 in those games, with the loss coming against the Lions at Wembley Stadium back in 2014. If the Falcons can't run the ball effectively, that essentially takes the game out of their hands. If they can't run the ball, that means it's all left to Ridder, who I don't believe Smith trusts well enough yet. Whether that's because of experience or inability, that's unknown. This is also a much more needed win for the Jaguars than it is for the Falcons. Another loss for the Jaguars might be a further bad omen for how this season may play out. They've already lost to two rookie quarterbacks, but I don't believe they'll lose to a second-year Ridder. Falcons lose in London to the Jaguars, 23-20.
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