Desmond Ridder has been playing very good football to start his rookie season in the NFL. He put it on full display again last night completing 10 of 13 passes for 143 yards and leading the Falcons to two field goals after strong drives versus the Jets. While the presumed starter, Marcus Mariota, enjoyed a strong outing of his own completing 6 of 10 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, the rookie has looked every bit as good through two preseason games, albeit against inferior competition.
While both have played well, Dukes & Bell seem content enough with what they have seen to name the rookie the starter for the 2022 season.
"I wanted Ridder to win this job from the jump," Mike Bell told Carl Dukes to open Tuesday afternoon's show. "I want to see something fresh!"
Arthur Smith has raved all offseason about the maturity that the rookie quarterback has shown throughout the offseason and the third-round rookie has looked the part through this point of the offseason. He showed poise and clutch-gene in his first game against the Lions when he threw a game-winning touchdown.
The rookie delivered the ball to his receivers in-stride and on time with impressive touch last night. If it weren't for some ill-timed penalties, the resulting drives would be far more flashy than before.
"Some people are going to say that this (performance in the preseason) doesn't mean anything," Dukes exclaimed. "That Desmond Ridder is playing against second and third team guys and that it doesn't mean anything. Yes, it does!"
Ridder has shown command of the offense and he looks every bit like a starting quarterback for this team. Ultimately, the Falcons need to see what this guy can do on Sundays, and maybe it's a pipe dream to expect Arthur Smith to roll out the rookie in the first week, but the rookie has been great to this point.
The rookie is the type of player that finds ways to win football games, and his 44-6 record at Cincinnati is evidenced enough of that. Ridder has done nothing but further prove that point as a pro. Hopefully, that will continue to unfold on Sundays this season.
Check out the full segment between Dukes & Bell above.
