One of two things were going to happen with the Falcons without Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage, and both were just as likely as the other. Either the Jets were going to do all the can to take away Kyle Pitts as a receiving option with no other real threat on the field, or the lack of Ridley was only going bolster the amount of targets Pitts got and give him a chance to thrive.
After a nine-catch, 119-yard performance against the Jets, the rookie cemented himself as a legitimate NFL weapon. Here’s a look at Kyle Pitts’ route chart from Atlanta’s win over the Jets in London, courtesy of NFL Next Gen Stats.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts
(NFL Next Gen Stats)
Falcons fans finally got to see the Pitts they have been waiting for since draft day. The rookie had a breakout game with the absence of key playmakers on the perimeter. Pitts was just one of three players out of 10 who had less than two yards of separation and to amass over 100 yards in Week 5.
Pitts’ 10.2 average air yards targeted is also the highest of his short career. This number would be a bit closer to 15 had his zero yard reception on the first play never happened. When looking at his comparison from Week 2, we can see Arthur Smith has begun to give Pitts more routes that develop downfield. Pitts has been given more routes with a deeper stem and and a deeper breaking point.
Going forward, with the uncertainty with Ridley and Gage, Pitts has to be the Falcons’ focal point in the passing game. We can start to see Matt Ryan trust Pitts a little more as Ryan is placing balls into tight spaces to appease to give the rookie a chance.
