Michael Rothstein, ESPN Team of workers Essayist
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder says he did “a terrible job of taking care of the ball” in Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.
Ridder threw interceptions on back-to-back performs within the loss, with the primary getting returned 61 yards by means of Jacksonville cornerback Darious Williams for a landing. At the after offensive play games, Ridder’s cross supposed for tight finish Kyle Pitts was once picked off by means of Jaguars protection Andre Cisco. It’s the primary age a quarterback has thrown interceptions on back-to-back offensive performs since Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did it in Occasion 13 latter season towards the San Francisco.
Ridder now has 3 interceptions over the hour 3 video games (one towards Green Bay in Occasion 2) then no longer throwing an interception in his first 5 begins, courting again to latter season.
“Those are tough lessons for a young quarterback,” Falcons mentor Arthur Smith mentioned. “You’re going to find out about yourself when you go back out there. So that’s why, in the second half, he was able to push the ball down the field a little bit.
“I believed he operated cleaner within the region and we have been in a position to get some appears and he was once no longer risk-averse then that, which a batch of instances that occurs. It is going again to the truth is we were given to have the option to jump-start early.”
The Falcons went three-and-out on their first two offensive drives of the game and punted on their third drive prior to Ridder’s back-to-back interceptions. Ridder settled down in the second half, finishing 19-of-31 for 191 yards and one touchdown, along with a lost fumble and four sacks.
“Once we don’t go away early and speedy, that’s when you are feeling the click,” Ridder said. “And later we got here again into halftime, we regrouped, got here again out and mentioned we were given to do what we want to do. Got here out that 2d part, was once in a position to proceed unwell the farmland and get a landing and get some momentum again.
“Obviously that’s something we got to figure out how to do from the jump.”
It’s been a constant factor for the Atlanta offense — voiced by means of Smith and Ridder, amongst others — since Occasion 1. Ridder has discussed the workforce’s dearth of offensive rhythm early in every of its first 3 video games, and it was once deny other Sunday towards Jacksonville. Within the first quarter, Atlanta ran six performs, won 5 yards, took two sacks and punted two times.
The Falcons have scored only one landing within the hour two video games and feature no longer led at any level since defeating Inexperienced Bay in Occasion 2. They’ve run 3 or fewer performs at the first layout in every in their 4 video games: 3 three-and-outs and a Ridder interception at the 3rd play games towards the Packers.
“You start slow,” Smith mentioned. “That’s going to put yourself in some really pressure situations and trying to overcome a lot.”
