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Week-to-week, it's the same thing with this Atlanta Falcons team. Typical low-scoring affairs attributed to an inconsistent offense, thanks to subpar quarterback play from Desmond Ridder and turnovers. This is all followed by Arthur Smith's facial expressions that perfectly sum up every Falcons fan's reaction. Much was the same against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, which is why Smith's pulling Ridder for Taylor Heinicke in the second-half seemed like a concerted move.
Okay, this wasn't quite the same performance we have seen out of the Falcons this season, that being a lot of the mistakes didn't solely fall on Ridder. It wasn't Ridder's fault that Will Levis, in his first career start, threw for four touchdowns, torching the Falcons' secondary. It wasn't Ridder's fault that Calais Campbell, Grady Jarrett, and Kaden Elliss all left the game in the first half. Then in the second half, Ridder himself, along with LaCale London, Keith Smith, and Drake London, all eventually left the game.
But there were still remnants of why this Falcons team continues to struggle offensively. And that does lie with Desmond Ridder, who was replaced by Taylor Heinicke in the second half due to concussion protocol.
Desmond Ridder's starting job takes turn in Titans loss, Taylor Heinicke's second-half start
Ridder finished his day 8-of-12 for only 71 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per pass, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He would, however, finish the day not without a turnover, which has been his most consistent stat to date. He fumbled midway through the second quarter on a sack inside the Falcons' own 34-yard-line, which eventually led to a Will Levis 16-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins to put the Titans up 14-3. The sack was one of five Ridder sustained on Sunday that total a loss of 36 yards on the day.
Once the second-half began and Heinicke entered the field, the Falcons started to gain a bit of momentum on offense. In his first three possessions, he led the Falcons on scoring drives that resulted in cutting the Titans' lead to 21-16 in the fourth quarter. His best throw came late in the fourth when he found Scotty Miller in the end zone to cut the Titans' lead to 28-23.
If not for a dropped fourth-and-1 pass by the recently acquired former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson — also not Ridder's fault — with 1:33 left to play, the Falcons could have had a chance to win the game.
Smith has been consistent well before the season started that Ridder was his starting quarterback. And he's keeping that trend even after the Titans loss. At least for now.
“We've got a lot of confidence in Des. We didn't take him out for performance issues,” Smith said, via Ian Rapoport on X.
Was Arthur Smith's decision on Desmond Ridder for safety or production?
Whether that stays true or not heading into Week 9 when the Falcons welcome the Kirk Cousins-less Minnesota Vikings remains to be seen. But it felt awfully suspicious that Ridder was held out to start the second half when he, just from a television broadcast, looked okay, and was even later cleared to return. Concussion protocols are touchy, however, and with the way the league wants to protect its players, and its understandable that even the slightest bit of hesitation on the matter to hold a player is warranted for the safety for their safety.
Smith has to be given the benefit of the doubt, though, right? Or does he? Was this just a good enough excuse not to cause a media scrum of relentless questioning about Ridder as his starter? Remember Smith's suspiciously odd choice not to include Bijan Robinson on the injury list last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
That makes Ridder's sitting in the second-half feel even more like a concerted move to enable production more than a precaution to avoid further injury. Smith said he “didn't think [Ridder] was right,” which was his reasoning for keeping Heinicke in the game even after Ridder was cleared.
2023 season continues to be pivotal for Arthur Smith
I've said since coming into this season that Smith is coaching for his job this year. In Year 3, he needs to show some vast improvements. He has every opportunity to win a very winnable division that no one is wanting to take currently, with the Falcons currently tied with the New Orleans Saints at 4-4.
Really, Smith just has to get to the playoffs for this to be a successful season, no matter how painfully ugly that might look. Through eight games, has Smith seen enough in Ridder to make a final decision and put the ball in Heinicke's hands for the foreseeable future? Quarterback will be even more important moving forward, with guys like Grady Jarrett going down for the season, along with a few more who are banged up now. This offense needs to help carry the team the rest of the season.
