Instant analysis: Ridder delivers in Falcons’ 21-19…

Instant analysis: Ridder delivers in Falcons’ 21-19 win over Texans

The Atlanta Falcons trailed by one point to the Houston Texans with less than two minutes remaining before quarterback Desmond Ridder marched the team down the field to set up Younghoe Koo’s game-winning field goal.

Kyle Pitts had a big day, the defense got crucial stops and Bijan Robinson had another mind-blowing highlight. Here’s our instant analysis of the Falcons’ 21-19 win over the Texans in Week 5.

Offense

After a quick three-and-out on the team’s first drive of the game, the Falcons got things going with a trick play to kick off their second drive. Ridder rushed for a seven-yard touchdown to give the team a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. Atlanta’s offense stalled out for the rest of the half as Bijan Robinson was contained to just 17 yards. In the second half, the offense played much better.

Ridder threw a shovel pass to Robinson for a touchdown and then marched the team down the field for the game-winning field goal on the next possession. The Falcons QB finished the game with a career-high 329 passing yards and a touchdown in the kind of performance that fans have been waiting for all season.

Kyle Pitts had his best game of the year, finishing with a team-high seven catches for 87 receiving yards. Drake London had six catches for 78 yards, and Jonnu Smith grabbed six balls for 67 receiving yards. Both Smith and Robinson fumbled during the game.

Defense

The Falcons honored former defensive coordinator Dean Pees — who was in attendance for Sunday’s game — by bending but not breaking against the Texans offense. Atlanta was stellar on third down and despite giving up some big plays, points allowed were kept at a minimum. The defense did make a big mistake late in the fourth quarter when Jessie Bates bit inside and got beat for a touchdown.

Overall, it was another successful performance by Ryan Nielsen’s defense, even if the team finished with zero sacks on the day. Linebacker Nate Landman led the team in tackles and cornerback Dee Alford finished with two passes defended.

Special Teams

Younghoe Koo converted on his ninth career game-winning field goal as time expired. The Falcons kicker continues to be one of the most clutch players in the NFL at his position. Cordarrelle Patterson finished with two kick returns for 35 total yards (17.5 yards per return). Punter Bradley Pinion didn’t have his best day, but Atlatna’s special teams continue to perform at a high level this season under STC Marquice Williams.