Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith made the official announcement on Monday that Desmond Ridder would once again become the starting quarterback. The decision was made after the team dropped their third straight at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals following their bye week. Backup Taylor Heinicke failed to impress in limited duty before suffering a hamstring injury late in the contest.
Coach spoke to the fact that Ridder “has done a lot of good things” and spoke highly of his preparation even while serving as the backup.
He also noted that Ridder has the mentality of a confident quarterback who wants the ball in his hands in critical situations.
The Falcons will face that critical test this Sunday vs the Saints in a divisional battle that will play a huge factor in determining the NFC South winner. If Desmond Ridder can cut down on the turnovers the team has every shot to win the game. If he cannot, you can not only count them out of the game, but for the rest of the season. The season, once again, now rests on Ridder’s right shoulder.