ATLANTA - Quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Matt Ryan both appear ready for the NFL's regular season.
Ryan looked sharp in his 2019 preseason debut for the Atlanta Falcons, completing nine straight passes, and Darnold led the New York Jets on another scoring drive in their 22-10 victory Thursday night.
After sitting out the first two exhibition games - Atlanta is playing five this season because it took part in the annual Hall of Fame matchup - Ryan played most of the first half. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 118 yards, a performance that was even more impressive considering Brian Hill and Justin Hardy dropped back-to-back passes in the back of the end zone that should have been touchdowns, sparking boos from the meager crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"It's always exciting to get those first few series under your belt," Ryan said. "Knock the rust off and get your feel back."
The Jets (1-1) are certainly pleased with Darnold, who followed up a marvelous drive in the preseason opener by finishing 5-for-7 for 46 yards. He guided New York on a 66-yard scoring drive to start Thursday's game, with that possession capped by Ty Montgomery's 1-yard touchdown run.
"It looks right," Jets coach Adam Gase said of Darnold's performance. "He doesn't seem to have any complications."
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell sat out again but could make his Jets debut next week when the New Orleans Saints visit.
Atlanta's backup quarterback, veteran Matt Schaub, took over for Ryan and led the Falcons (0-3) on their lone touchdown drive to close out the first half. Running the two-minute offense to perfection, Schaub went 8-for-10 for 76 yards to set up Ito Smith's 4-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds remaining.
The Falcons clearly have some issues to clear up on the offensive line. Ryan was sacked three times and hit on at least a half-dozen occasions after delivering the ball.
"You're getting all different looks in these games," Ryan said. "We'll be better off for it."
It was an even tougher night for the kickers. New York's Taylor Bertolet, who was signed last weekend after Chandler Catanzaro missed two extra-point attempts in the preseason opener and surprisingly retired, botched a pair of the kicks himself to raise more concerns. Bertolet did connect on a 49-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Gase said the Jets are sticking with him.
"Right now, this is where we're at. This is what we're going with," Gase said. "When we get back in the morning, we'll be able to watch the film, make sure the operation was right, figure out what the reason was for those misses."
Giorgio Tavecchio, taking over in Atlanta after the release of longtime kicker Matt Bryant, missed a pair of 52-yard field-goal attempts. One was deflected at the line, and the other sailed wide left.
Atlanta's third-string quarterback, Matt Simms, had the ball knocked away for a fumble that led to New York's winning score. The Jets' fourth quarterback of the night, Luke Falk, connected with Deontay Burnett on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 11:38 remaining.
James Burgess finished off the Falcons by intercepting a pass from Simms and returning it 28 yards for a touchdown in the closing minutes.
The Falcons are approaching three years without a preseason victory. Atlanta has lost 11 straight exhibitions since its last preseason win - a 17-15 triumph over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 1, 2016.
Atlanta will host the Washington Redskins next Thursday.
Falcons cornerback Damontae Kazee left the field on the Jets' opening possession with a rib injury, but Atlanta's most pressing concern appeared to be wide receiver Russell Gage, who went down hard on his hip after letting a slightly underthrown pass from Ryan slip through his hands. Gage spent several minutes writhing on the turf in pain before he walked gingerly to the locker room with assistance from trainers.