It wasn’t pretty, but the Atlanta Falcons came away with a 16-13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. Sunday’s game could have been a blowout had it not been for Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder‘s three red-zone fumbles.
The defense stepped up time and time again as the Buccaneers were unable to capitalize on Atlanta’s multiple blunders. Here are 10 takeaways from Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay.
1
Bijan Robinson playing time?
The Falcons didn’t list Robinson on the injury report but he was barely involved on Sunday. Head coach Arthur Smith said Robinson was “just not feeling so great” at halftime. The rookie re-entered the game on the final drive, so the whole ordeal was somewhat unusual.
“I woke up, just completely out of it,” said Robinson after the game. “I tried to take medicine so I could be good for the game. But my head was hurting. Bad.”
2
Ridder ball-control issues
Desmond Ridder followed up his three-interception performance in Week 6 with a three-fumble game in Week 7. Not only did he nearly fumble the game away, all three of Ridder’s turnovers were in the red zone. Thus far in 2023, the second-year QB has thrown for six touchdowns and six interceptions, with six fumbles lost. We’ve seen growth in the passing game, but these turnovers are becoming a real issue.
3
NFC South leaders
While it’s clearly not the best division in the NFL, the NFC South currently belongs to the Atlanta Falcons. Sunday’s win propelled the team over Tampa Bay for first place in the division. With the Saints losing on Thursday night and the Panthers sitting at 0-6, the Falcons have a real shot to take the NFC South this season. Atlanta is off to a 2-0 start in the division.
4
Defense bails out offense (again)
The Falcons weren’t supposed to be a defensive juggernaut, but that’s the only reason this team is 4-3 at the moment. It’s tough enough to win games in the NFL when your offense isn’t scoring enough points, but the fact that Atlanta overcame three red-zone turnovers is pretty remarkable. The Falcons offense needs to pick up the slack over the second half of the season.
5
Kyle Pitts comes up clutch
Kyle Pitts has become a factor over the last three weeks. His stats haven’t exactly been eye-popping, but Pitts and Ridder appear to be on the same page. On the Falcons’ final drive, Ridder connected with Pitts for a 39-yard gain to set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. Pitts finished the game with three catches for 47 yards, including an impressive one-handed grab in the first half.
6
Secondary breaks up 8 passes
The Falcons defense gave up some big plays, but it was another encouraging performance by the secondary. Aside from A.J. Terrell getting burned by Mike Evans on a touchdown, the defensive backs made big plays throughout the game to neutralize Tampa Bay’s offense. Richie Grant came up with a big interception and the team finished with eight total passes defended.
7
Falcons score TD on opening drive
The Falcons scored a touchdown on their opening drive of the game for a second straight week. This time, Desmond Ridder got the team on the board with a two-yard scramble on third down. Overall, the offense moved the ball well for much of the game, but the turnovers kept Atlanta’s scoring to a minimum in Week 7.
8
Koo hits another game-winner
“Younghoe Koo hits the game-winning field goal” has been a common phrase over the last few seasons. Koo continues to be one of the most overlooked parts of this Falcons team. If you can’t get the ball in the end zone, it helps to have a reliable kicker that can bail you out. Koo was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day, with one extra point converted.
9
What's next for Atlanta?
It’s back on the road again for Atlanta in Week 8 as the team heads to Tennessee to play the Titans. Head coach Arthur Smith made a name for himself as the Titans offensive coordinator under Mike Vrabel. Now, Smith gets to face off against his former mentor. Tennessee is currently in last place within the AFC South at 2-4.
