Desmond Ridder Articles - Page 2

The Atlanta Falcons are under new management, with Raheem Morris as the new head coach and his former Los Angeles Rams colleague Zac Robinson as the offensive coordinator. With a new crew in charge, rumors are heating up that the Falcons will take a quarterback at No. 8 in the NFL Draft despite still having […]

A lot of changes are set to be made for the Atlanta Falcons system in the offseason. They first had to let go of Arthur Smith to find the perfect mentor for the Desmond Ridder-led squad. There are no signs of other moves but they have been linked to Lamar Jackson. Arthur Blank was quick […]

The Atlanta Falcons are preparing for Sunday afternoon’s regular-season finale against the New Orleans Saints with a chance to still make the playoffs However, the status of quarterback Taylor Heinicke was in question all week as he is dealing with a right ankle sprain, so is he playing in Week 18 vs. the Saints? Unfortunately, […]

Somehow, the Atlanta Falcons still have a shot in Week 18 with a win over the New Orleans Saints to secure the NFC South division and make the playoffs. However, the chances are very small. A victory won’t be sufficient to propel the Falcons (7-9) back to the postseason for the first time since the […]

It was NFL coaching, broadcasting, and video game legend John Madden who has been credited for uttering the oh-so-true prophecy, “If you have two quarterbacks, you actually have none.” Apparently, at least based on what we’ve seen this season, Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is not a practicing member of the Church of Madden. […]

The Atlanta Falcons had no answers for the Chicago Bears after losing 37-17. However, late in the contest, Taylor Heinicke was subbed out for Desmond Ridder and nobody was entirely sure why. Now, we finally have the answer. During the postgame presser, head coach Arthur Smith revealed that Heinicke aggravated an ankle injury, according to […]

Twill be the eve before Christmas when the Atlanta Falcons (6-8) are set to face the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) in Week 15, and oh, what a scene it would be! The Falcons, coming off one of their worst and most embarrassing stretches of the entire season in the last two weeks, blowing late leads and […]

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said the team is reportedly planning to start quarterback Taylor Heinicke for the three remaining games in the 2023 season, per Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney. McElhaney later provided further information on the Falcons’ quarterback situation. “Important to note: The plan after the Falcons Week 11 bye was that Ridder […]

The Atlanta Falcons are making a quarterback change once again, as they are going back to Taylor Heinicke after Desmond Ridder struggled on Sunday in a 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. This is the second time the Falcons have made this move this season, and head coach Arthur Smith spoke about the possibility of […]

As the 2023 season has progressed for Arthur Smith and the Atlanta Falcons, the team has regressed. If you need a more prominent example of that, then look no further than their Week 15 loss to the Carolina Panthers. In a 9-7 loss, it was perhaps the ugliest game of the year for the Falcons, […]

The Atlanta Falcons have had another up-and-down 2023 campaign, but their latest outing, a 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 15, is likely going to represent rock bottom for this team. Desmond Ridder looked awful under center once again for Atlanta, and now head coach Arthur Smith has a big decision to make […]

The Atlanta Falcons are just bad. There’s no other way to say it after their Week 15 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Going back to last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Falcons were on a two-game winning streak entering the game, their first since the first two weeks of the season. They had […]

Horrendous quarterback play is nothing new for the 2023 NFL Season. It seems like there are at least three instances each week where we watch a quarterback make throw that really makes you question whether or not they should be in the NFL. Today against the Carolina Panthers, in what looked to be a full-blown […]

The Atlanta Falcons hope to find themselves back on the winning side of things in Week 15 when they take on the Carolina Panthers in an NFC South division matchup. It will be the second division game in as many weeks, with the Falcons (6-7) this time taking to the road. Unlike last week when […]

With a chance to move themselves ahead in the race for first in an inconsistent NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons faltered yet again, losing 29-25 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, relinquishing the No. 1 spot to their rivals. Not that the Falcons have been a poster child for consistency themselves this season, but […]

The Atlanta Falcons return home on Sunday to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Week 14 showdown with first place on the line in the NFC South. The Falcons are coming off a two-game winning streak after their ugly win over an offensively inept New York Jets team last week. That’s the first time […]

The Atlanta Falcons now have sole possession of first place in the NFC South after their 13-8 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. But my, oh my, was it in the ugliest way. You truly had to be a fan of either team to take any sort of pleasure in this rain soaked […]

On Sunday afternoon, Desmond Ridder and the Atlanta Falcons evened up their record on the 2023 NFL season at 6-6 with a narrow road win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. It was far from a pretty performance for Ridder and the Atlanta offense in the 13-8 victory; however, all that matters is […]

Rapper Ludacris took everybody by surprise in the Atlanta Falcons’ game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 12. Ludacris, an Atlanta native and three-time Grammy Award winner, came down from the rafters of Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday. Ludacris came down from the ceiling to perform at the Falcons game 😂 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PYok0127dH — Bleacher […]

In a pivotal divisional matchup against the New Orleans Saints, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith shared his feelings regarding belief in quarterback Desmond Ridder. Despite a season marred by challenges and skepticism about Ridder’s performance, Smith expressed confidence in the young quarterback following the team’s 24-15 victory over the Saints. Smith addressed the media’s questions […]

In a brutal start against the New Orleans Saints, Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder faced harsh criticism after throwing two interceptions, further fueling skepticism about his performance. However, he quickly silenced his doubters with an incredible touchdown pass to rookie phenom Bijan Robinson. Ridder, who had been benched for Taylor Heineke earlier in the season, returned […]

The Atlanta Falcons and their Week 12 opponent, the New Orleans Saints, will both be coming off a bye week when they meet this Sunday to renew their heated rivalry. This game is set to be a battle for first place in the NFC South — which used to mean something. Half a decade ago, […]

Despite starting in the backup role for the Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10, quarterback Desmond Ridder is emerging from the team’s bye week back at the helm of the Falcons offense. Head coach Arthur Smith insisted Monday that Ridder will be the Falcons quarterback moving forward, according to Michael Rothstein of […]

What are the Atlanta Falcons doing? No one really knows, if we’re being honest. Despite a mediocre record, Atlanta has been under heavy scrutiny this season. A big part of the questions around the Falcons revolve around their quarterback situation. Desmond Ridder’s performance this year ranged from passable to downright horrid, mostly skewing towards the […]

The Atlanta Falcons have a decision to make as they head into their bye following a 25-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Just two weeks after benching then-starting quarterback and second-year pro Desmond Ridder for veteran Taylor Heinicke- who suffered an injury on Sunday- Falcons head coach Arthur Smith on Monday was […]

On Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons dropped to a disappointing 4-6 on the 2023-24 NFL season with a crushing 25-23 road loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons started quarterback Taylor Heinicke against the Cardinals; however, Heinicke suffered an injury in the second half, forcing head coach Arthur Smith to turn to recently benched backup […]

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith announced that Taylor Heinicke will get his second straight start this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals. Heinicke initially came into play for the Falcons in Week 8 versus the Tennessee Titans after Desmond Ridder exited for concussion protocol. Smith decided to stick with Heinicke the next week against the […]

After watching the way the last month has played out for the Atlanta Falcons, it now seems painfully obvious where the problem lies. And that’s with head coach Arthur Smith. The Falcons have lost three out of the last four and are now 4-5 on the year in a pivotal Year 3 for Smith. They […]

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 […]

The Atlanta Falcons are on a bit of a cold streak but remain 1st in the NFC South. The Falcons prepare to take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. However, the team has made a change in their starting quarterback. Desmond Ridder will take the backup role while Taylor Heinicke will lead off. Despite […]

The Atlanta Falcons originally benched Desmond Ridder in Week 8 after putting him through the concussion protocol. However, the coaching staff opted to keep him out after passing the tests. Despite that, Ridder found himself on the injury report shortly after that game. But now it appears he’s fully cleared of injury, according to ESPN’s […]

Arthur Smith has seen enough out of the struggling Desmond Ridder. The Atlanta Falcons head coach announced Wednesday that Taylor Heinicke will be the starting quarterback in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings: Coach Smith provides an update on the quarterback position pic.twitter.com/EqOlB6NRib — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) November 1, 2023 Smith did say “just for […]

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, […]

Who is the Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback? Desmond Ridder started the season as Atlanta’s QB1 but Taylor Heinicke has emerged as an option to start. Ridder, who is dealing with an injury, is likely still Atlanta’s preferred option. Head coach Arthur Smith addressed the situation following the Falcons’ 28-23 loss against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, […]

The Atlanta Falcons lost to the Tennessee Titans in a close cross-conference NFL matchup. Atlanta’s quarterback situation took a turn, as Desmond Ridder sat the second half from concussion protocols. Taylor Heinicke took the reigns, and his impressive performance has some questioning his future role. Head Coach Arthur Smith commented on both QBs’ statuses after […]

It’s been a slow game for the Atlanta Falcons as they ended the first half down 14-6 to the Tennessee Titans. To start the second half, Atlanta pulled Desmond Ridder out of the game for Taylor Heinicke. Ridder was placed under concussion protocol, according to Adam Schefter at ESPN. Taylor Heinicke subbed in to make […]

The Atlanta Falcons’ Week 8 matchup will have them traveling to Nashville, TN to face off against the Tennessee Titans. The Falcons are coming off a victory over what was then the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers, until Atlanta took that from them. They now have a winning record at 4-3, leaders of the division, […]

The Atlanta Falcons clawed their way to a 16-13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now sit atop the NFC South standings. But it’s easy to see why the Week 7 victory might be viewed through a pessimistic lense after QB Desmond Ridder’s performance. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was quick to defend his […]

The Atlanta Falcons’ Week 7 opponent will be none other than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be the Falcons’ second NFC South divisional game of the season, where they will travel to Raymond-James Stadium for their third road game of the season. Until last season, the Falcons had lost five straight to the Buccaneers […]