Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith stated in a press conference earlier today Desmond Ridder will be the starting quarterback going forward.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said going to Desmond Ridder isn’t a one-week switch. The plan is to go with Ridder going forward.
Also, they’ll see how much Taylor Heinicke (hamstring) can practice this week.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) November 20, 2023
Ridder was benched for Taylor Heinicke in week 8 against the Tennessee Titans midway through the game. Heinicke then started the past two games which led to losses against the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals. It does remain to be seen if Ridder were the quarterback these outcomes would have been different because each quarterback has trouble with ball security. Ridder is mostly known for fumbling the ball at an alarming rate while Heinicke has a interception problem.
Coach Smith provides an update on the QB position coming out of the bye pic.twitter.com/BpQHO7Xycw
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) November 20, 2023
Nevertheless, the Falcons will go with Ridder when the face off against division rival New Orleans Saints as both teams are coming off the bye week. This will be the first time these two teams meet, and the Saints could have Jameis Winston under center. Someone has to win this division, and with the Bucs losing to the 49ers on Sunday, Atlanta is still one game behind of the Saints and could own the tiebreaker with a win.
Why Go Back To Ridder?
Ridder has his flaws, but he has shown flashes of being a competent quarterback, however, troubles in the red zone are what kills him and this team. But maybe last game’s gameplan to go back to their roots and run the ball is what this team has to do to compete. Their defense is surprisingly better in recent years and could be one reason they are not the bottom feeders of the NFC South.
The Atlanta Falcons are +250 to win the NFC South according to offshore sportsbooks.
The Falcons schedule does get easier after the Saints game which should mean that they have a chance at maybe winning this division. Whether a quarterback change makes any difference at all remains to be seen. We will find out soon enough when the Falcons host the Saints on Sunday.
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