The Atlanta Falcons couldn’t get the job done in Week 16 and as a result, they have been eliminated from the playoff hunt. Saturday’s 17-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens dropped the Falcons to 5-10, but there were a few bright spots.
Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder bounced back from a rough first outing with a solid performance in Baltimore. Ridder and wide receiver Drake London seem to have a natural chemistry playing together. London finished with seven catches and a career-high 96 receiving yards.
After the game, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith didn’t want to talk about the questionable officiating, but he complimented his rookie QB.
“There was a couple of situations where we can be better and that’s what we’ll look to do,” said Smith. “I thought Desmond took another step against a pretty good defense, but at the end of the day, we didn’t win situational football. Baltimore did, and that’s why they walked away with a win.”
Smith also acknowledged London’s chemistry with Ridder.
“You could see it. I think they’ve got pretty good chemistry, that’s pretty obvious after two starts by him. Credit to Drake too, I mean there’s other guys that are working, getting open and there’s a trust factor there.”
Watch Smith’s full press conference below, as shared by the team’s YouTube channel.