FLOWERY BRANCH -- The Falcons must replace wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s production while he’s out addressing his mental-health issues.
The obvious place to look is the wide receiving corps, where Tajae Sharpe took over for Ridley against the Jets on Oct. 10 and Carolina on Sunday. He had solid games.
Sharpe, who was a fifth-round pick by the Titans out of Massachusetts in 2016, had five targets and made four catches for 53 yards (13.3) against the Jets. He was targeted six times and made five catches for 58 yards (11.6) against the Panthers. He had long gains of 17 yards in both games.
With Sharpe doing solid work and Russell Gage being an afterthought most of the season, the Falcons could switch more of the passing attack to the tight ends when they face the Saints at 1 p.m. Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Rookie Kyle Pitts turned in two spectacular games in victories over the Jets and the Dolphins. Hayden Hurst has been steady and Lee Smith has provided a spark in the passing game.
The tight ends -- Pitts (484 receiving yards), Hurst (142) and Smith (53) — have combined for 679 receiving yards this season, the most yards by a tight end group in the NFL in 2021.
Smith, a blocking tight end, has caught eight of his nine targets and has a touchdown. He’s on pace to have a career-high 19 catches. His previous high came in 2015 with the Raiders.
“Those guys all do different things for us,” Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone said. “They’re able to function in the pass game and cause defenses, at least, to think about different things in which they can do.”
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Falcons’ 2021 schedule features trip to London, January trip to Buffalo
Atlanta Falcons Schedule
Bye Week
Next Four Games
Falcons at Saints, 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 7
Falcons at Cowboys, 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14
Patriots at Falcons, 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18
Falcons at Jacksonville, 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 28
