Atlanta Falcons Fall vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Despite Desmond Ridder's Resilience: 3 Takeaways
The Atlanta Falcons failed to make it three straight wins as they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-25 on Sunday and, in turn, surrendered the lead in the NFC South.
But before the Falcons turn the page to preparations for their next game against the Carolina Panthers, here are three takeaways.
Beat Themselves?
As was the case in the first matchup between these two division rivals this season, it seems turnovers appeared to be a problem
First, it was a screen pass that Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis instinctively evaded two Atlanta blockers to jump the pass from Desmond Ridder intended to Bijan Robinson. Then, while it ultimately won't go down in the stat sheet as a turnover, the safety a few drives later, as Ridder was stripped in the endzone, it certainly felt like one.
Combine those two negative plays, both of which saw the Buccaneers capitalize off by putting points on the board. Not to mention, the usually very reliable Younghoe Koo missed two field goals.
Injuries
Perhaps the biggest storyline throughout the game for the Falcons was injuries. To start the game, they were already without starting center Drew Dalman and right tackle Kaleb McGary. However, as the game progressed, there was a point where four of the Falcons' five starting offensive linemen dealt with injuries.
The attrition upfront was visibly apparent for the Falcons offense as they were held scoreless by the Buccaneers for over 30 minutes following the 36-yard touchdown pass from Ridder to Kyle Pitts in the second quarter.
Ridder Resilence
Dec 10, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
For the third time since his benching, the Falcons called on Ridder to lead them on a touchdown drive late in a game. It first happened when he came off the bench in relief of the injured Taylor Heinicke in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Then again, two weeks later, versus the Saints following the bye week.
With the Falcons trailing 22-17 late in the fourth quarter against the Buccaneers, they called on him again, and as he's done recently, Ridder delivered. The second-year quarterback led the Falcons on a quick five-play drive that spanned 75 yards, which he capped off with a six-yard read-option keeper run for a touchdown.
However, it didn't prove enough to lift the Falcons over the Buccaneers, as they surrendered control of the NFC South.
