On their second overseas visit, the Atlanta Falcons were more successful, outperforming the New York Jets by a score of 27-20 on Sunday in front of a conquered British crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In this amphitheater that usually hosts the powerful Spurs in soccer, it was quarterback Matt Ryan who made his law by shooting two touchdown passes in the first half of the game.
On two yards, the 36-year-old veteran first found Kyle Pitts for the major at the very end of the first quarter. Ryan picked up where he left off after the short break, this time finding Hayden Hurst on 17 yards on the edge of the net.
Passing to Olamide Zaccheaus late in the game, the 36-year-old pivot became the seventh quarterback in NFL history to complete 5,000 discounts. Among the active players, only Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger reached this plateau.
The Jets attempted a comeback late in the game, even approaching three points behind the Falcons. Ty Johnson and Michael Carter, on short runs, crossed the end zone for touchdowns, but a Mike Davis middle finger with 2:19 left in the game put Atlanta out of reach.
On their previous visit to Great Britain, in October 2014 at Wembley Stadium, the Falcons narrowly escaped a victory against the Detroit Lions, who won 22-21.
Next Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Miami Dolphins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
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