With both teams sitting their starters, backup quarterback Desmond Ridder led the Falcons to a 28-12 victory over the Jaguars in the final exhibition game Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I was proud of these guys,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “We won a game in all three phases.”
Things didn’t start out well, but Ridder, who was drafted in the third round out of Cincinnati, settled down. He guided the Falcons’ backups on four touchdown drives.
The Falcons improved to 2-1 in the exhibition season, and the Jaguars dropped to 0-4.
Now, the Falcons must cut their roster to 53 players by the 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline and then start preparing for the season opener against the rival Saints on Sept. 11.
Ridder completed 14 of 21 passes for 185 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He finished with a passer rating of 70.6. Feleipe Franks came on to finish out the game.
Marcus Mariota, the starter, did not play.
The Falcons ran the ball 36 times for 124 yards. Caleb Huntley rushed 17 times for 69 yards and a touchdown. Huntley hopes he did enough to earn a roster spot.
“It’s just a waiting game for me,” Huntley said. “I’m just blessed to have this opportunity to be here. Whatever decision they make is going to be the best decision. I know that God is going to work it out for me in the end.”
Ridder moved the ball around and connected with 11 different receivers. He was intercepted on his first pass of the game by Jacksonville safety Daniel Thomas.
“Throwing the ball late over the middle is probably not the best option,” Ridder said.
Credit: AJC
The Jaguars converted the turnover into only a 54-yard field goal by James McCourt.
On the Falcons’ next possession. Ridder bounced back from the bad throw, which was behind the receiver and low, and completed passes on three consecutive third downs.
On third-and-4 from the Falcons 31, he connected with tight end Anthony Firkser for 5 yards.
On third-and-8 from the Falcons 37, he connected with wide receiver Damiere Byrd for a 17-yard gain.
On third-and 9 from Jacksonville’s 45, he tossed a screen pass to running back Qadree Ollison, who picked up 12 yards.
Six plays later, after a few powerful runs by Caleb Huntley, Ridder tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to running back Tyler Allgeier. Younghoe Koo’s PAT put the Falcons up 7-3.
Ridder led the Falcons on a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 8:58 seconds off the clock.
After an exchange of possessions, McCourt added a 38-yard field goal. On the Falcons’ third possession, Ridder overthrew Byrd, who had gotten open behind the Jaguars defense.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
After a blocked punt by outside linebacker Quinton Bell that was recovered by DeAngelo Malone at the 1, Ollison added a 1-yard touchdown run. Koo’s kick made the score 14-6.
Jacksonville answered with a 7-yard touchdown pass from E.J. Perry to Laquon Treadwell with 17 seconds left in the second quarter. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete.
The Falcons added a 1-yard TD run by Huntley in the third quarter. Koo made the score 21-12 with 5:08 left in the third quarter.
Ridder wasn’t done. He orchestrated a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that took 7:20 off the clock. Allgeier scored on a 4-yard run.
With just under three minutes to play in the second quarter, Falcons linebacker Dorian Etheridge suffered a serious knee injury. Etheridge, who was in a battle to make the final 53-man roster, left the field on a cart.
Etheridge, who played at Louisville, signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2021 draft. He played in seven games and amassed 109 special-teams snaps last season.
“We’ll just have to see. You know, obviously when somebody gets carted off it looks bad,” Smith said. “Not to be evasive, but we don’t know until we get the doctors (to) look at him. We’re very hopeful, but we’ll have to see (if it’s a season-ending knee injury).”
In addition to playing linebacker, he was on the Falcons’ kickoff return team Saturday.
Cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who is coming back from knee surgery, played some nickel back against the Jaguars.
Oliver, 25, was held out of the first two exhibition games. He looked fine in the second quarter covering Jacksonville wide receiver Laviska Shenault out of the slot on two third-down plays. The ball didn’t come his way on both of those plays.
Oliver, who was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft, played nickel back with the reserves.
“It felt pretty good, just getting out there and getting some plays,” Oliver said. “Some games are different than practice. Getting a couple of tackles, making that contact, it was good. I felt pretty good about how things went.”
Oliver, who was moved to nickel back in the 2020 season, was injured against Washington on Oct. 3 last season. Running back J.D. McKissic blocked Oliver when he was rushing the quarterback, and his knee was injured on the play.
“I was really pleased with Isaiah,” Smith said. “Sometimes, it’s not just the physical hurdle it’s a mental hurdle.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
On Saturday, defensive coordinator Dean Pees called the same blitz that Oliver was hurt on against Washington.
“Sometimes you need to overcome it,” Smith said. “He basically had to face those fears to know the guy is back. We have to assess, but I was very pleased with Isaiah today.”
Oliver missed the rest of the 2021 season after the injury.
In addition to Oliver’s return, linebacker Deion Jones played at inside linebacker. Jones, who had offseason shoulder surgery, came off the physically-unable-to-perform list Wednesday.
Rookie wide receiver Drake London, the eighth player taken in the NFL draft this year, did not play against the Jaguars.
London played five plays in the exhibition opener against Detroit on Aug. 12. He caught a pass for 24 yards and was hit on his left knee. He has not practiced since the injury. The Falcons have said the injury is not serious and that London was being held out as a precautionary measure.
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