Read the reports of the games played on Sunday in the NFL.
Desmond Ridder threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to MyCole Pruitt and the Atlanta Falcons moved into first place in the NL South with a 13-8 win over the New York Jets, Sunday.
The Falcons (6-6) have won two games in a row for the first time since the start of the season, having started the campaign by defeating the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers. The Falcons started Sunday’s duel tied with the New Orleans Saints, but the latter lost to the Detroit Lions.
The match was marked by rain, botched plays and penalties.
“You’re in a race, you want to win the sectional title,” Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said. Sometimes the way to get there may lack perfection. No matter what happens, you adjust and at the end of the day you just have to find a way to win. »
The Jets (4-8) lost a fifth straight game. The Jets even pulled their starting quarterback Tim Boyle in favor of Trevor Siemian in the fourth quarter, in an attempt to breathe life back into the offense. However, nothing worked.
The Jets had a chance to win with 1:53 left in regulation, but the team accomplished nothing except a 25-yard completion to Xavier Gipson.
“It’s always a missed opportunity when a game determines the winner,” Boyle said.
“It’s frustrating,” Siemian said. It is for everyone. You realize that the margin for error in this league is so thin, that you can be narrowly winning and at the last second everything changes direction. »
The Jets, who committed three turnovers, lost a game that had great significance in their chances of making the playoffs. The team’s star quarterback Aaron Rodgers also said a possible return to play this season depends on whether the Jets make the playoffs or not.
Ridder completed 12 of 27 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown pass to Pruitt. Bijan Robinson accumulated 53 rushing yards on 18 carries, in addition to three catches which yielded a total of 26 yards.
Ridder capped a six-play, 47-yard drive with a pass to Pruitt for the touchdown, giving the Falcons a 7-2 lead.
Greg Zuerlein cut the Falcons’ lead to 7-5 with a 27-yard field goal with 3:56 left before halftime.
Younghoe Koo added three points for the Falcons with a 22-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to make the score 10-5.
The Jets were punished eight times in the first half, including four times in the final 1:55 of play for 56 penalty yards. The Falcons received two penalties. The Jets finished the game with 11 penalties for 71 yards. The Falcons were penalized six times, for 55 yards.
Boyle completed 14 of 25 passes for 148 yards. He was the victim of an interception. Siemian completed five passes on his 13 attempts, for 66 yards.
“We haven’t won three games in a row yet this season,” Ridder added of his team, which will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday. We’ve won our last two games, so we have to keep our heads high and continue our momentum at home. »
Dennis Waszak Jr., Associated Press