The Atlanta Falcons made a quarterback change midway through their game against the Tennessee Titans. A concussion scare led to Desmond Ridder being benched while Taylor Heinicke stepped in and looked great.

Since then, Heinicke has been named the starter, and head coach Arthur Smith is ecstatic about it, according to ESPN's Pat McAfee. He went as far as to claim that he's “fired up” for Heinicke.

Considering the Atlanta's offense was actually able to move the ball downfield when Taylor Heinicke stepped in, it makes sense why Smith is so excited.  Even if there's a chance Drake London doesn't play, the Falcons should be a little more exciting on the offensive end.

Heinicke put up a decent statline in Week 8, recording 175 passing yards and one touchdown. He also totaled 14 rushing yards. He put the Falcons in position to win the game, however, a dropped pass on fourth down led to Atlanta's downfall.

As for Desmond Ridder, he's basically been a roller coaster all season. Before being pulled, he put up 1,701 passing yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions on the season.

Week 9 is a pivotal matchup for the Falcons. They're currently tied for first place in the NFC South with the New Orleans Saints. They have to secure a win against the Minnesota Vikings to maintain their standing in the division.

For that reason, we should expect to see Taylor Heinicke take full command of the offense and do his part to help Atlanta remain in the playoff hunt.