Let’s be brutally honest up front: The Falcons’ receiving corps did not have a great year in 2018. They were seventh in the NFL in drops per Pro Football Focus, and they dropped several passes that turned into interceptions or ruined chances at a score. It was, by any reasonable standard, a real part of why the offense regressed so mightily in 2017. It was behind Steve Sarkisian’s play calling and a little bit of a step back from the offensive line, but it did matter.
Just look at the chart below, which has the Falcons at seventh, right in the neighborhood of some bad passing offenses, which is deeply unfortunate.