The Falcons are turning back to Desmond Ridder coming out of their bye week ahead of the most pivotal matchup of the season.
After being benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke, Ridder has sat on the sidelines and supported the veteran only to be thrust into the club’s tilt in Arizona after Heinicke went down with injury. Against the Cardinals, Ridder played in the fourth quarter and led the Falcons to a near-win had the defense come up with a stop.
On the sidelines, Ridder had time to think and assess his own play as well as gather intel from a different perspective. Instead of complaining and pouting, the third-round pick has taken the demotion in stride and turned it into an opportunity to improve.
“He’s done a really good job of taking advantage of what could be perceived as a major negative and trying to turn it into a positive for not just the short term but for the rest of his career,” Arthur Smith said of Ridder.
A lot of this is just coach speak, and Ridder has never been knocked for his intangibles. He’s always been held in high regard in that manner, but it’s still encouraging for Falcons fans to see the team and quarterback pulling on that same rope.
Ridder is 6-6 as a starter with a poor career completion percentage (64.8) and a passer rating of 84.8, throwing eight touchdowns and six interceptions in his career. What’s been the biggest issue is the turnovers, which he’s committed 12 of this season.
As he gears up to face a Saints defense that is among the league’s best in forcing quarterbacks into turnover-worthy plays, Ridder will have to be on his p’s and q’s on Sunday. It seems he’s found something during his time on the bench, but it doesn’t have anything to do with his own play.
“You get a different perspective, not only of yourself but the offense as a whole,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like we lacked energy. We have to keep our energy up throughout the game.”
The Falcons don’t need Desmond Ridder to be a ra-ra guy. Just don’t turn the ball over. The lack of energy could probably be directly attributed to the offensive shortcomings, most of which came at the hands of their quarterback. All Ridder has to do on Sunday is play within Atlanta’s system and protect the football.
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Photographer: Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire
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