Arthur Smith did what many thought he would on Wednesday when he named Taylor Heinicke the starting quarterback versus the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Smith would not commit past this week but did say Ridder will be the backup and is healthy. It remains uncertain if Heinicke’s performance will directly dictate his run as the starter or if this is just a breather for Ridder after turning the ball over at an alarming rate the last few weeks.
Coach Smith joined the show for his weekly appearance on Wednesday and addressed the change. Earlier in the day, coach cited “several variables” that contributed to the decision but would not elaborate further. He reiterated that sentiment to Carl Dukes & Mike Bell, citing the need for the change to be made for this week specifically vs Minnesota. Heinicke will be the quarterback for now, Ridder is not injured, and we will have to wait and see which signal caller will be tasked with starting against Arizona the following week.
The Falcons’ offense is in need of a serious jumpstart and the team is hoping Heinicke can be that sparkplug after a promising performance against the Titans last weekend. The 28-23 final could be pointed back to another fumble lost by Ridder. After the team’s defense got exposed for the first time all season it becomes that much more important for the offense to respond. That will be Heinicke’s main task on Sunday.
