The Falcons offense hasn’t evolved over the 2023 campaign; it’s been consistently the most inconsistent unit in football, and that continued in the club’s 29-25 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Despite throwing for a career-high 347 yards, Desmond Ridder experienced the same struggles that led to his benching in the middle of the season. Ridder completed 26-of-40 passes and notched a pair of touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.
However, he also put the ball in harm’s way once again, tossing an interception and fumbling twice, one of which could’ve resulted in a Tampa Bay touchdown but thankfully only cost Atlanta two points.
It wasn’t just the turnover-worthy plays, though. The Falcons 2022 third-round pick continues to miss open receivers. Not only does he not see them sometimes, but his accuracy also leaves a lot to be desired even when making the right decision
For instance, on the opening drive, Ridder missed a wide-open Bijan Robinson in the flat on a third and goal that ended up being a four-point swing after the drive stalled. Those four points ended up being the difference.
Some might point to Ridder’s improved yardage as a marker of improvement, but he’s still one of the most turnover-prone quarterbacks in football, especially in critical areas of the field.
“I think you can argue that the numbers have been pretty good,” Arthur Smith said. “Career high, thought he threw the ball really well. When you’re moving the pocket with some of this stuff, he made some difficult throws.”
Even the Falcons’ own head coach is pointing to total yards — a decent portion of which have come in the fourth quarter in garbage time — as a sign of personal development.
If you ask Desmond Ridder, he gives a similar assessment.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder on his first year(ish) of NFL starts pic.twitter.com/2hSaZgIFFE
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) December 13, 2023
Some might argue that Desmond Ridder has been at his best when the lights were brightest, in the fourth quarter. It would be a fair argument. His expected points added (EPA) ranks a horrid bottom three in the league in the first three quarters but jumps to third best in the final quarter.
I’m not buying the smoke and mirrors that some statistics can be manipulated into. Yes, Ridder has had stunning moments. I’m not arguing that he hasn’t because the Falcons have won games on the back of game-winning drives led by Ridder. What I am arguing is no franchise quarterback can be that inconsistent.
Ridder isn’t flipping a switch all of a sudden when the fourth quarter rolls around. It’s just worked out that way so far this season. Eventually, the mistakes he makes throughout the entire game will trickle into the fourth quarter as well, and everyone still defending Desmond Ridder won’t have a leg to stand on.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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