Following their 13-8 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons now hold sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
But, oh my, was it in the ugliest way possible.
To have any enjoyment from this rain-soaked game, you had to be a fan of either team. For starters, only 21 points were scored in the game, with two of those coming on a safety when Bijan Robinson couldn’t find his way out of his own end zone and was tackled by Quinnen Williams. Fortunately, the Falcons’ defense forced three turnovers and limited the Jets to just two field goals after that.
The Falcons offense continues to be inconsistent.
The Falcons, who are now 6-6 on the season, have yet to find their offensive groove this season, but the Jets team they faced on Sunday at MetLife Stadium was far worse, allowing the Falcons to earn their second win in as many weeks. The Jets, on the other hand, are without their veteran star quarterback and are led by a defensive-minded head coach. This is especially troubling given that the Falcons are led by an offensive coordinator who was supposed to revive, restore, and recreate a suitable offense to lead Atlanta. That has yet to happen in Arthur Smith’s third year.
It was undoubtedly going to be a challenge for the Falcons on Sunday against the Jets’ 15th overall total defense in the league, who would be ranked higher if it weren’t for their inept offense keeping them on the field for the majority of every game.
Against the Jets, the Falcons were held to less than 200 yards total offense (194). Desmond Ridder, making his second straight start after a bye week, completed 12-of-27 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown. Even the running game was limited to 90 yards total between Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, and Cordarrelle Patterson with no touchdowns.
Even if Atlanta wasn’t facing the Jets’ defense, the outcome would most likely be the same.
For the Falcons and their offense, the issue remains at quarterback.
Some Falcons fans may look at today’s game and assign little blame to Ridder. He did, however, throw the game’s only touchdown to MyCole Pruitt in the second quarter, which proved to be the game-winner. However, this team is still heavily reliant on the run, thanks in part to the scheme and in large part to the quarterback play. But can this offense truly survive on the run, which frequently sputters because teams are prepared for it due to the flaws in the passing game?
If the Falcons want to make the playoffs, they’ll have to find ways to improve their passing game, which is nearly impossible at this point in the season with only five games remaining. The Falcons’ quarterbacks, Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, have combined for only 11 touchdowns, ranking them sixth in the league. They also rank 22nd in the league in terms of points per game, averaging 19.4.
We’ve probably seen the best of what this offense has to offer and what it can be with Ridder (or any quarterback on the roster), who Smith insists is his starter. Smith has demonstrated that his offense is limited, which frequently leads to conservative play-calling due to a lack of a reliable quarterback.
It makes no difference that the third-year head coach has one of the league’s best running back tandems in Robinson and Allgeier. It also doesn’t matter that three of the Falcons’ last three first-round picks have been offensive skill players, one of whom is Robinson. In today’s NFL, there isn’t much an offense can do if the quarterback can’t move the ball down the field.
Yes, Ridder did just enough to help the Falcons win today. But just enough may be enough to propel Atlanta to first place in the NFC South this season. That was undoubtedly Smith and the Falcons’ goal this season, but just enough won’t suffice for much longer. This group urgently needs to find
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