The Falcons finally woke up on offense Thursday night, and the biggest headline wasn’t just the 35-14 win over the Packers. It was how much Atlanta got done without much from Kyle Pitts.
In Michael Penix Jr.’s return as the starting quarterback, Atlanta rolled up 498 total yards on Sept. 24 and turned a sluggish start to the season into a statement performance at Lambeau Field. Bijan Robinson and Drake London carried the load in a big way.
Robinson ran 29 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while London hauled in nine passes for a career-high 194 yards. Together, they became the first teammates to post at least 150 rushing and receiving yards in the same NFL game three times.
Pitts, though, was barely part of the picture. He finished with one catch for five yards on just two targets, even though he was on the field for 42 snaps, more than half of Atlanta’s 66 plays.
“We’re always thinking about Kyle, Drake, Bijan,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “When the defense plays a certain way and allows the ball to go to a certain place, it’s where it goes. It doesn’t change how we design the game plan.”
That line fit the night. The ball kept finding Robinson and London, and the Falcons kept piling up yards while Pitts watched his role shrink again.
It’s been a frustrating pattern. In Week 1, Pitts had no catches and only one target in a 20-13 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. The next week was hardly better: one reception for 15 yards on three targets in the ugly 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Those first two games came with Cooper Rush at quarterback, which matters. Atlanta was booed at home during that stretch, and the offense looked lost.
Still, the bigger story around Pitts has stretched beyond two bad weeks. Since Atlanta spent the fourth overall pick on him in the 2021 NFL Draft, his usage has been uneven inside the offense.
He had his best quarterback in an aging Matt Ryan, who helped turn him into a Pro Bowler as a rookie. Later, Kirk Cousins - working in relief for the injured Penix - gave Pitts enough opportunities to earn All-Pro honors and land his three-year, $54 million deal with $36 million guaranteed, making him the fourth-highest-paid tight end.
Even with that contract, Atlanta hasn’t gotten consistent production from him, and it isn’t all on Pitts. One possible factor is Penix’s left-handedness, which can change the quarterback’s field vision. Pitts also isn’t lining up on the left side as often as he did earlier in his career, and he’s being used more like a traditional tight end than before.
There’s also been more rotation with blocking tight ends like Charlie Woerner and Austin Hooper. Hooper caught a touchdown from the left-side tight end spot against Green Bay, while Pitts was staggered on the right and lined up outside London on that play.
For all the questions around Pitts, the Falcons’ offense clearly has something to build on now. Robinson and London drove the show, and Atlanta showed it can move the ball in a hurry.
“You’re trying to make sure Kyle’s involved, and when he’s there, we’ll take it, when he’s not, we’ll move on,” Stefanski said. “Kyle’s going to be a big part of this offense.”
Atlanta now gets an 11-day break and a mini-bye before facing the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on Oct. 5 on Monday Night Football.
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