The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Smith wants Pitts, Gage involved earlier
Falcons rookie tight end Kyle Pitts played 49 of the 72 offensive snaps (68%) Sunday against the Eagles in the season-opening 32-6 loss.
He caught four of eight targets for 31 yards.
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger wondered why Pitts wasn’t in the game when the Falcons were inside the 20 on the opening drive that stalled.
“Hopefully it was an injury or equipment issue,” Baldinger wrote on Twitter. “This offense needs him on the 3 yard line ... badly.”
Falcons coach Arthur Smith will try to get Pitts going early against Tampa Bay, but liked his first catch on a fourth-and-1.
“Made a pretty tough catch on fourth down when we went for it on fourth down,” Smith said. “It wasn’t pretty, but he executed it. Matt was under duress there . ... Give Kyle credit. Again, that’s not a flashy play in the stat sheet, but that was a conversion when we needed to when you take the risk and go for it on fourth down.”
Smith also wants to get wide receiver Russell Gage, who had only two targets, involved early.
“I have to do a better job of getting (Pitts) and Russ (Gage) into the game early,” Smith said. “Russell Gage, there were some opportunities.”
Gage apparently took things in stride.
“The thing I can’t say enough about Russell Gage,
a lot of guys, it’s like basketball, people want to touch
the ball,” Smith said. “I have to do a better job of getting them the ball early, but Russell is a real pro because he battled. He battled.”
Gage, who finished with 72 catches last season, caught at least two passes in all 16 games in 2020. He caught a career-high nine passes in two games.
“It says a lot about your character when the ball doesn’t go your way in how he competed,” Smith said. “I have to do a better job there.”
Guards added to practice squad: Veteran offensive guards Danny Isidora and Bryan Witzmann were signed to the Falcons’ prac- tice squad Wednesday.
Falcons coach Arthur
Smith said that “all options were on the table” at left guard after a poor debut by rookie Jalen Mayfield. Rookie Drew Dalman and veteran Colby Gossett were listed behind Mayfield on the team’s official depth chart that was released Tuesday.
brought some guys here on the practice squad,” Smith said. “We’ll continue to look for options. We’ll con- tinue to (work on) improve- ment. Some of these guys are rookies.”
Mayfield started against the Eagles after veteran Josh Andrews suffered a broken hand and was placed on injured reserve. The Falcons had not planned to start Mayfield, who was drafted in the third round out of
Michigan.
Mayfield played mostly right tackle in college and needed time to convert to guard. But Andrews’ injury pushed Mayfield up the depth chart. Dalman was selected in the fourth round out of Stanford.
“Some of these guys are rookies,” Smith said. “We
to fix issues if it doesn’t change. There is no secret there. Some of the rookies, going through their first NFL start, going against a pretty good front and some pretty good players, let’s see if you can go in there and correct it, but we also have options, too, if that’s not working.”
Isidora, 27, who’s 6-foot-3 and 306 pounds, was drafted by the Vikings in the fifth round (180th overall) of the 2017 NFL draft out of Miami. He has played in 25 games and made six starts in the NFL. He’s spent time with the Vikings, Dolphins and Chiefs.
Witzmann, 31, who’s 6-7 and 320 pounds, has played in 40 NFL games and made 20 starts. He has played for the Chiefs, Bears and Panthers since entering the NFL in 2014 out of South Dakota State.
The Falcons also signed defensive lineman Mike Pennel to fill out the practice squad at 16 after releas- ing kicker Elliott Fry, wide receiver Juwan Green and tight end David Wells on Tuesday.
Pennel has played in 91 games for the Packers, Jets and Chiefs over the past seven seasons. He played in 14 games with the Chiefs last season.