Atlanta Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Reveals Reason For Offensive Struggles vs. New York Jets
Two things can be true at once: Sunday was not pretty for the Atlanta Falcons, but it was a good day because it resulted in a 13-8 win.
Granted, Sunday's game was not pretty in a lot of respects. The weather was atrocious, and neither the Falcons or the New York Jets could establish any momentum offensively. Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith didn't make excuses after the game, though. He knows more is expected out of his offense in the long run, but he was happy to escape New Jersey with a win.
"Yeah, obviously we want to score 100 points, we want to score every drive," Smith said postgame. "That’s a good defense. They threw everything they had at us, and there’s a lot of things going on. At the end of the day, the positive side, when we needed to make some plays, we did."
East Rutherford, NJ December 3, 2023 -- Bijan Robinson of the Falcons is upended by Sauce Gardner of the Jets in the second half. The Atlanta Falcons and the NY Jets play at MetLife Stadium on December 3, 2023 in East Rutherford, NJ.
© Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Let's take a look at the Falcons' offensive numbers from Sunday, shall we?
Overall, Atlanta put up 194 yards of total offense (the Jets somehow accounted for 259) and 13 points. Quarterback Desmond Ridder did not turn the football over, but he only had 121 passing yards before sack yardage is taken out. Running back Bijan Robinson was also contained for just 53 yards on 18 carries (2.9 YPC).
In short, that's not a winning brand of football in the long-term.
But there is a bright side to this performance: the Falcons managed to win anyway. It may not bode well for the future matchups on the schedule, but if you're an optimist, perhaps this win shows some mental fortitude and a "win at all costs" attitude. Maybe?
For now, Atlanta is a game up in the NFC South, and it faces a division opponent next week in an attempt to further-solidify its lead. The Falcons will play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on CBS.
