FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons wide receiver Russell Gage has remained upbeat even though he has not been a major factor in the offense this season.
With Julio Jones in the Music City and Calvin Ridley away from the team for personal reasons, Gage, who caught 72 passes last season, seems like the reasonable person to replace some of the production in the passing attack.
Gage, who played at LSU, is looking forward to the Falcons (3-4) facing the New Orleans Saints (5-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Caesars Superdome.
Gage has played in four games. He was injured in the second game after getting only two targets in the season opener and missed three games. He came back against Miami and caught four passes, including a 49-yard touchdown.
In the 19-13 loss to Carolina on Sunday, Gage did not get any targets.
For the season, he has caught nine of 15 targets for 95 yards and a touchdown.
“There’s always some details that you can get better at even if you didn’t get the ball,” Gage said. “You’re not really thinking in the way of I didn’t get the ball here. You’re more thinking about how do I get better? How do I get better at this route? How do I get more open here? That’s kind of how I move forward through things like that. What’s the best way to get better?”
The Falcons traded the dynamic Jones to the Titans over the offseason. Gage emerged as the No. 2 receiver last season as Jones missed half of the games and rarely practiced.
After this slow start to the season, Gage is on pace to catch 32 passes.
Offensive coordinator Dave Ragone said the second play of the Carolina game was set to go to Gage, but quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked. Gage was never seen hanging his head as he didn’t get any action against the Panthers.
“You have games like that, you come into the game anyway and you get no targets,” Gage said. “So you might come into the game and get 15 targets. It really just, you know, it’s not set up for, oh, you know, you’re gonna get you eight balls this game or anything like.”
Ragone and Ryan don’t necessarily look at targets.
“It’s understood,” Gage said. “So, as the game went on, you know, I kind of understood how things were kind of mapped out. You know that’s something that, as a pro, you have to understand.
“You have to move forward. No, I didn’t get any balls this game, but I know it’s coming. I’m going keep preparing and with my preparation, the ball will find me.”
The Falcons have no clear explanation as to why Gage has not been getting passes.
“There’s been part of the season where Russ was, unfortunately, not able to play,” Ragone said. “Then the way it worked out last week, I’m sure you guys are sick of my stock answer, but the coverages does dictate (where the passes go.)”
The Falcons insist they tried to get Gage involved early.
“There was a chance on the second play of the game, and unfortunately, the way the play worked out, Russ wasn’t able to get the ball,” Ragone said. “Matt wasn’t able to get the ball off, and we took an unfortunate sack there.”
The Falcons like to spread the ball around, but it didn’t make it back to Gage.
“Typically how the games play out, it’s our intention to spread the ball out and go where the coverage dictates it,” Ragone repeated. “It just happened last game that it didn’t dictate as much you go to Russ, there.”
Gage’s numbers may be down because the Falcons are throwing more of a quick-pass attack. There are not a lot of five- and seven-step drop backs, which the line struggled to block for under former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.
“But I got faith in Russell,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “So, you know, there’s some things that we all got to do better, and like everybody on offense, we got to execute better. So again, those are old narratives and guys can have stats, and a heavy drop-back game and you lose, who cares.”
Gage is fine with getting better to help out the offense, especially with Ridley out indefinitely.
“We all prepare the same way every week,” Gage said. “We’re all are ready to kind of take over that role. It’s not gonna just be me. It’s not gonna just be one person to take over that role because Calvin is a real important guy. …We’ve got several guys ready to step up.”
Gage was limited in practice Wednesday with a groin injury. He fully participated Thursday, when the practice was held indoors.
He would not use the groin injury as an excuse for his low production.
“Feeling good, you know, ready to roll,” Gage said. “We’ve got great trainers, so I should be good.”
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