A win is a win in the NFL, regardless of how it comes. On a soggy afternoon at MetLife Stadium, all it took was a Desmond Ridder 20-yard touchdown pass to tight end MyCole Pruitt in the second quarter and the Falcons (6-6) handed the Jets (4-8) a 13-8 loss, their fifth-straight loss, and took sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
Ridder finished the game 12 of 27 for 121 yards and the one touchdown to Pruitt on a day where both offenses were far from impressive. Bijan Robinson carried the ball 18 times for 53 yards, adding three catches for 26 yards. Kyle Pitts was targeted eight times, hauling in 4 catches for 51 yards.
Atlanta entered the game tied atop the division with New Orleans, which lost to Detroit. In addition to taking over first place in the division, the Falcons have no won back-to-back games since opening the season with wins over Carolina and Green Bay.
“You’re in a playoff chase, you’re trying to win a division,” Coach Arthur Smith said. “Sometimes it can get ugly in the elements. Whatever happens, you adjust and at the end of the day, you’ve just got to find a way to win.”
The Jets opened up the scoring by catching Bijan Robinson in the endzone for a safety to take a 2-0 lead late in the first quarter
A fumble by Dalvin Cook was recovered by Dee Alford in the second quarter to set up a short field for Atlanta and Ridder took advantage with the touchdown pass to Pruitt for a 7-2 lead.
The teams would trade field goals before Younghoe Koo put the Falcons up for good early just after the half with a 42-yard field goal after a 14-play, 51-yard drive that chewed up nearly seven minutes off the clock.
“It’s being able to take advantage of your situations,” Smith said. “It might sound boring, but that’s how you find a way to win in December.”
New York didn’t help their own cause with 11 penalties, four in the last 1:55 of the first half, for 71 yards while Atlanta was penalized six times for 55 yards.
Falcons safety Jessie Bates continues to make his case for the most important defensive acquisition for Atlanta this season as he picked off Jets quarterback Tim Boyle at the end of the third quarter. Bates now has an interception in back-to-back games and is third in the league (5).
Boyle finished 14 of 25 for 148 yards and the interception. Trevor Siemian replaced Boyle after the Bates pick, eliciting cheers from the half-filled MetLife Stadium crowd.
Looking to provide a spark in a relatively close game, Siemian didn’t fare any better. The eight-year veteran went 5 of 13 for 66 yards and fumbled three times, losing one.
Despite picking up the win, Atlanta lost cornerback A.J.
Terrell to a concussion early in the first quarter and starting tackle Kaleb McGary exited early in the second quarter with a knee injury. Linebacker and defensive standout Nate Landman was helped off the field early in the fourth with a left knee injury.
It will be a return to Atlanta to take on Tampa Bay this Sunday with the focus on extending the division lead with a win.