Atlanta Falcons Desmond Ridder 'Did Enough to Win' vs. New York Jets

Facing a vaunted New York Jets defensive front, the Atlanta Falcons didn't ask much of quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Since their bye week, the Atlanta Falcons have not only snapped a three-game losing streak but also recorded their second-straight win on Sunday in a 13-8 defensive slugfest versus the New York Jets.

It was a rather unimpressive performance from the Falcons' offense as a whole, as they only managed to find the endzone just once, lending to a rather quiet day for second-year signal-caller Desmond Ridder.

"We want to score 100 points, trust me, that’s our intent. But the reality of the NFL sometimes, they put a lot of capital up front, draft, everything, they have good players upfront and it was Matt Bergeron’s biggest challenges, draw cup and hey you got Quinnen Williams this week," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said of Ridder and the offense. "I mean, that’s the NFL, right? Kaleb [McGary] goes out, Storm [Norton] goes in there, so you want to maybe change some of your protections ... That’s the game you’re playing, play to play and series to series. Yeah, it’s an aggressive front, two styles, aggressive styles, and thankfully we did enough to win."

Dec 3, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) drops back to pass against the New York Jets during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

In his second start back since his benching, Ridder completed 12 of his 27 passes for 121 yards with a touchdown. The lone touchdown for Ridder and the Falcons came after inside linebacker Nate Landman forced a fumble, setting the offense up at the Jets' 47-yard line. 

From there, Ridder led a quick six-play drive, completing both of his two passes for 33 yards as he found tight end MyCole Pruitt in the endzone. Besides that, it was a quiet day for Ridder and the Falcons offense, which finished with just 194 total yards. 

Falcons Defense Sees Impact of Offseason Adds in Win vs. Jets

As Smith mentioned, the injury to right tackle Kaleb McGary certainly didn't help the Falcons' game plan versus a disruptive Jets defensive line. While the Falcons managed to pull out the win on Sunday, they didn't exactly neutralize New York's pass rush. The Falcons surrendered three sacks and eight quarterback hits in the win on Sunday.

However, even if Ridder's performance was pedestrian-like, it was "enough" to win as he didn't put the Falcons in bad situations with turnovers, which have plagued him in the past. 

Ridder and the Falcons will look to make it three wins in a row on Sunday when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kickoff inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST.