Falcoholinks: All the Falcons news you need for Wednesday, Nov. 3

Got links of the Atlanta Falcons variety to start your Wednesday.

The aftermath

Well, the Falcons officially received a reality check during their loss against the Panthers, one that brings them back to a losing record and at the bottom of the NFC South. The snap counts from that one didn’t reveal much (although we did have a Feleipe Franks sighting), but Atlanta needs to make some adjustments and make them quickly.

Our team provided their takeaways from this lousy performance, one that featured some head-scratching decisions from quarterback Matt Ryan.

We learned five things in this loss, one being that Cordarrelle Patterson is simply playing on another level right now — let’s hope he’s in your starting fantasy lineup.

Calvin Ridley steps away to focus on mental health

The biggest development over the weekend, by far, was wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s unexpected absence from the game due to a personal matter. Ridley released a statement that afternoon announcing that he would be stepping away from football to focus on his mental health — a brave announcement that should be universally respected.

NFL players are people, too, and the pressures of the game and the toll it can take on one’s mental and emotional well-being should not be shoved aside in account of their paycheck.

Our Allen Strk wrote a must-read piece on Calvin Ridley, mental health, and the lessons for all of us when it comes to prioritizing mental health.

Marvin Hall byke

The Falcons did not make any trades prior to yesterday’s deadline, but they did bring back familiar face Marvin Hall.

The speedy wide receiver was assigned to the practice squad.

The Falcoholic Podcast

Atlanta’s sloppy loss to Carolina definitely reset expectations in short order for this team, and that was the topic of discussion on The Falcoholic Podcast. Give it a listen right here.