The Atlanta Falcons kicked off their preseason opener against the Detroit Lions on Friday, August 12.
On the first drive, Falcons’ 2022 first-round pick Drake London exited the game early with a knee injury and did not return.
Drake London has a knee injury and will not return.
He ended the night short with a single catch for 24 yards from starting quarterback Marcus Mariota.
#Falcons 8th overall pick, WR Drake London, with a 24-yard gain.
London was seen shortly after walking the sidelines, which was a positive sign.
If the post-game presser, head coach Arthur Smith didn’t have much to say of London’s injury other than that the team would know more on Saturday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter also added from another source that the injury looks encouragingly “not serious,” however further testing will tell more tomorrow.
Falcons’ HC Arthur Smith said the team would know more Saturday about the knee injury that WR Drake London suffered tonight, but one source was encouraged early on and said “it is not a serious injury.” Still, further testing ahead.
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London Is Having a Solid Camp Performance So Far
In his final year with the Southern California Trojans, London logged 88 receptions for 1,084 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in just eight games before sustaining an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season.
He now says he’s feeling 100% and he’s looking like it at training camp:
I think it’s safe to say Drake London knows how to create separation 👀 (via @FalconsNextQB)
And his efforts are not going unnoticed by his teammates.
“He’s a subtle, stay-out-of-the-way type of guy, and I respect that. On the field, man, he really pops out at you,” said veteran wide receiver Bryan Edwards at the start of camp, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “He moves really well in and out of breaks for a bigger receiver. He’s very shifty. He kind of reminds me of a shiftier version of Mike Evans down there in Tampa Bay. Much respect to that kid. I can’t wait to see him grow and blossom into the great player I know he’s going to be.”
Falcons Beat Detriot Lions 27-23
In Better news, Falcons’ third-round pick quarterback Desmond Ridder had a solid night.
The rookie threw his first NFL touchdown in the second quarter, which was a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end, Parker Hesse.
Just how we wrote it up ✏️ Ridder -> Hesse
📺: @nflnetwork | @FOX5Atlanta
📲: Falcons App
But that wasn’t the only touchdown Ridder tossed.
With just under two minutes left, Ridder threw the game-winning 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jared Bernhardt to cap off a 27-23 victory for Atlanta.
Ridder 🤝 Bernhardt
Stealing our hearts
📺: @nflnetwork | @FOX5Atlanta
📲: Falcons App
He finished the night throwing 10-for-22, for 103 yards with two touchdowns.
“It felt good,” Ridder said after his first NFL debut. ” Obviously, we could have went out there and executed better. Some of the plays I wish we could have had back. Couple drops. Couple misreads. So, really just excited to get back tomorrow and Sunday and get back to work.”
With Matt Ryan on a new journey in Indianapolis, the Falcons added veteran Marcus Mariota and Ridder to their roster this offseason.
So far, Atlanta plans to roll with the vet as their starting quarterback, but that shouldn’t leave Ridder out of the future game plan entirely with plenty of preseason competition left to go.
Mariota also had a solid performance as he went 2-for-2, recording 36-passing yards, plus 23-rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons’ next preseason game kicks off on Monday, August 22 against the New York Jets.
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Falcons Injury Update: WR Drake London Exits Early vs. Lions