Getty A Pro-Bowl player has been named the Falcons' biggest disappointment.
More than a few players have performed above expectations to help the Atlanta Falcons start with a 2-2 record, but the team has also had its share of disappointments.
One below-par big name stands out among those with room to improve. A Pro-Bowl talent expected to make major strides in 2022. Instead, this playmaker has gone from record breaker to missing in action.
2nd-Year Playmaker Anonymous
Kyle Pitts just isn’t having the impact many people expected. The player drafted fourth overall in 2021 lived up to the billing with a record-breaking debut campaign that included 68 catches for 1,026 yards.
Pitts should have parlayed those numbers into joining the likes of Travis Kelce and Darren Waller as the NFL’s premier tight ends. Things aren’t working out that way, according to Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine: “We are still waiting to see that breakout game. He did show signs of life with five catches for 87 yards against the Seattle Seahawks the following week but was mostly invisible once again with one catch for 25 yards on four targets against the Cleveland Browns.
As Ballentine noted, Pitts’ total output through four games should be a single week’s worth of work for a player of his talents: “At the beginning of the season, it would have been easier to believe Pitts had 150 receiving yards in one game than 150 in the first four combined.”
It’s a reasonable argument since Pitts tallied 163 yards from seven catches against the Miami Dolphins in Week 6 last season. The breakout game became one of the many records Pitts set, per StatMuse:
Kyle Pitts had 163 yards today, breaking the Falcons franchise record for a TE.
He has 471 yards in his first 6 games, the most by any TE in the last 50 years.
All signs pointed toward Pitts having more games like that this season. Especially since the Falcons drafted wide receiver Drake London eighth overall, adding another dynamic pass-catcher for defenses to cover and shift their focus away from Pitts.
The results haven’t gone to script.
Falcons Have a New Go-To Target
Pitts is no longer the No. 1 target in the Atlanta passing game. The distinction now belongs to London, who is already setting quite a pace in his rookie year.
London’s already caught 18 passes for 231 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The numbers have helped the former USC standout grade higher with Pro Football Focus than any other first-year wideout:
Among WRs with a top-10 receiving grade, Drake London is the *only* rookie.
His grade is a 83.0.
It’s understandable London would benefit from defenses gearing up to stop Pitts. Any double coverage on No. 8 is good news for every other member of the Falcons’ receiving corps.
Fortunately for Pitts, the dynamic can work the other way. The more London produces, the more he’s going to become a focus for defenses, and that’s good news for Pitts.
A good example came against the Seahawks in Week 2, when Nate Tice of The Athletic highlighted how London’s movement drew a crowd and freed Pitts to win inside:
watch Drake London (top of screen) start on the ball and then step off at the snap.
Simple little tweak to switch up the tendency for a high-low concept like this with Kyle Pitts now running the in-breaker from off the ball.
Head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone need to draw up more plays like this to make Pitts quarterback Marcus Mariota’s primary read. Smith and Ragone may also need to shift the emphasis of their play calling to give pass-catchers like Pitts extra opportunities.
The running game has been the primary focus of Smith’s gameplans this season. That meant calling 31 runs against the Seahawks, followed by 35 more rushing attempts during Week 4’s 23-20 win over the Browns.
It’s working, but any run-heavy strategy means receivers spend more time blocking than running routes. Pitts’ value as a tight end is never going to be determined by his efforts as a blocker, so the Falcons need to find new ways to keep him involved in the passing game.