Calvin Ridley
Remember how I said Julio Jones hasn’t found the end zone yet? Well, Matt Ryan has thrown 10 touchdowns, so someone is reaping the benefit of defenses paying so much attention to Jones. His name is Calvin Ridley.
Ridley has been the great beneficiary of so much attention going to Jones. He’s hauled in six touchdowns this season, which leads the NFL. He’s also been quite productive with his other catches that don’t go for touchdowns. He’s averaging 17.6 yards per catch, which leads the Falcons.
The rookie out of Alabama has caught 15 passes this season, which is not even four per game, but he is making every catch count right now. The Steelers, like most other defenses, have to pay special attention to Julio Jones, so Ridley could easily been in for another big game in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.
Ridley’s output so far can catapult him into Rookie of the Year talks. He’s been quite the addition to the Atlanta offense, creating a duo between him and Julio Jones that is nearly impossible to defend.