Atlanta Falcons won 27-20 over New York Jets in a thrilling return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Half-time saw the Falcons lead by 20-3. Hayden Hurst and Kyle Pitts scored touchdowns for them.
Ty Johnson was able to get into the end zone in the second quarter to give the Jets some hope. They pulled within three points of Michael Carter's touchdown, who converted a two-point conversion.
A large crowd of 60,589 cheered the NFL's return from London. The pandemic had forced the international series to be cancelled last season. They hoped for a field goal that would send the game into overtime.
Mike Davis scored Atlanta's third touchdown to make sure the Falcons (who have a bad knack of losing big leads) did not add to their collection. This brings the season's total to 2 for 2.
It was also a way for rookie Pitts to celebrate a significant day in his young career. The offensive load was shared by Cordarrelle Patterson and Pitts as the Falcons were without their top receivers.
Pitts was the fourth-highest drafted tight end in NFL History when Atlanta selected him as the fourth overall. He then went on to score his first NFL touchdown.
After finishing the game with nine catches, the 21-year old was named the game’s star player. Zach Wilson, the second draft pick, did not shine, as his team fell to 1-4.
After scoring his first touchdown in the NFL, Kyle Pitts, number four draft pick, was named the game’s star player
Already, Pitts is proving his worth to Falcons
Both sides are rebuilding their heads under new head coaches. Pitts was expected to be a pick early in the draft and Atlanta's new boss Arthur Smith gave Pitts and veteran quarterback Matt Ryan early gifts.
Smith, who was previously the Tennessee Titans' offensive coordinator. Smith was expected to restart the Falcons' offense. Last week's loss at Washington, where they lost 34-30 despite leading by 30-22 with four minutes remaining, whetted London's appetite.
The 26-year old Calvin Ridley, who replaced Julio Jones as Atlanta’s top wide receiver last year, was unable to attend the event due to "a personal matter".
Russell Gage, a fellow receiver, was also out. The Falcons were worried when Patterson, who had three touchdowns in receiving last week, left the game's first drive to undergo a concussion evaluation.
Atlanta settled on a field goal, and Patterson made a huge impact after Patterson was given the green light to return the Falcons' second possession. To complete the 92-yard drive, Patterson ran back and made a 16 yard catch.
Ryan's next pass to Pitts was another major one. A penalty put them in the red zone and Ryan then picked Hurst up down the middle. This capped a 77-yard drive that ended with a 17 yard score.
Atlanta would be the one to lose from there. They famously lost a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots and were defeated in Super Bowl 51.
With just seven minutes remaining, the Jets made it a three point game. Ryan, nicknamed "Matty Ice", kept his cool and won the victory with the next possession.
After a 39-yard pass from Ryan to Pitts, Davis completed the 80-yard drive. Ryan was eighth on the all time list with 342 passing yards. He also reached 5,000 career completions.
Wilson is unable to do miracles again
Since 2010, the New York Jets have not reached the playoffs. However, long-suffering Jets fan dreamed of a new dawn last week after the overtime win over Tennessee.
Wilson, who had lost his first three NFL games with a loss, led the Jets' fightback by throwing two touchdown passes in quarter four. This was a testament to his impressive arm talent.
The Jets were three-and-out on the first two drives, before Wilson intercepted them on the third. They didn't score a first down until the middle of the second quarter. A drive that resulted in a field-goal put them on the board.
Wilson only completed five of 13 passes for 42 yard in the first quarter, but Tevin Coleman gave them a lift with a 65-yard kickoff return at the beginning of the third quarter.
Ty Johnson ran it from a yard and, despite the Jets recovering a fumble late in the third quarter of the game, Atlanta's defense forced them to go three to one again.
In the fourth quarter, Wilson began to fly. He also began to find his target.
Carter made two huge plays, before the Jets were penalized for pass interference from another deep throw. Carter ran 41 yards upfield to Atlanta’s two-yard line. Carter then powered into the endzone on the next play.
Wilson was unable to repeat his heroics last week and is now the Jets rookie with the most interceptions (nine) in their five first career starts. The Jets will have to endure some more difficult days.
