Younghoe Koo kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired and Desmond Ridder passed for 329 yards as the host Atlanta Falcons edged the Houston Texans 21-19 on Sunday.
The Texans (2-3) had grabbed a 19-18 lead on C.J. Stroud’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz and Ka’imi Fairbairn’s extra point with 1:49 left in the game. But Ridder drove the Falcons 56 yards in 10 plays to set up Koo’s kick on the final play as Atlanta improved to 3-2.
Ridder completed 28 of 37 passes for a career-high 329 yards and a touchdown. He added a 7-yard scoring run. Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson had 14 carries for 46 yards and made a one-handed grab for a 6-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Tight ends Kyle Pitts (seven receptions for 87 yards) and Jonnu Smith (six for 67 yards) paced the Falcons’ passing attack. Wideout Drake London had six receptions for 78 yards.
Stroud completed 20 of 35 passes for 249 yards and a TD. The No. 2 overall draft pick set the NFL record for most pass attempts without an interception to start a career, surpassing Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s mark of 176 in 2016. Stroud now has 186 and counting.
Dameon Pierce added 66 yards on the ground. Schultz made seven receptions for 65 yards and a score. Rookie wideout Tank Dell had three catches for 57 yards.
Fairbairn was 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts, connecting from 38, 43, 28 and 42 yards.
Houston jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter when Fairbairn capped a six-play, 28-yard drive with a 38-yard field goal.
Atlanta responded on its ensuing possession when Ridder put the finishing touch on an impressive seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run. The scoring march was set up by a 22-yard pass from London to Smith, which moved the Falcons into Texans territory.
Fairbairn’s next field goal trimmed Atlanta’s lead to 7-6 in the second quarter. He gave Houston a 9-7 halftime advantage when he nailed a 28-yarder with 3 seconds before halftime. A 29-yard connection from Stroud to Dell on third-and-10 was key to the 10-play, 79-yard drive.
Following Robinson’s fumble inside Atlanta territory, Fairbairn pushed the Texans’ lead to 12-7 with 9:35 to play in the third quarter with his fourth field goal.
The Falcons took a 13-12 lead with 12:12 left in the fourth quarter when Ridder connected with Robinson on a dazzling shovel pass for a touchdown. Tyler Allgeier hauled in the two-point conversion from Ridder to put Atlanta up 15-12.
Koo’s 33-yard field goal put the Falcons up 18-12 with 6:57 to go.
–Field Level Media
