The Falcons chose Taylor Heinicke over Desmond Ridder to start against the Vikings, and the results were mixed.
The veteran provided a spark, making more big-time plays, but he was also as careless, if not more so, with the ball than the third-round pick. With the quarterback situation, Arthur Smith is caught between a rock and a hard place; the Falcons’ current situation is entirely his fault.
But there’s still half a season left, and the club still has a chance to make the playoffs, so there’s no time to point fingers.
Taylor Heinicke was expected to start this week against the Cardinals, according to Arthur Smith earlier this week. What wasn’t expected was Smith telling reporters that he and his staff would evaluate the quarterback position during the bye week, implying a possible but not permanent change. “We’re not going to play musical chairs.”
I wrote before the Vikings game that benching Ridder was essentially a white flag for Atlanta. In this league, how often does a young quarterback get benched and then come back to be a capable starter? The list is very short, and there are no third-round picks who have done so.
Ridder already had the odds stacked against him, and now they’re insurmountable.
That may not deter Arthur Smith from returning to him, and the head coach may be correct. Taylor Heinicke may give the Falcons the best chance of winning today, but he’s erratic and inaccurate with the ball.
There is no obvious solution here. Heinicke hasn’t seen much action with the starters, so he deserves another chance to show he can lead the Falcons down the stretch. If he doesn’t improve, the Falcons will have to go back to Ridder.
It’s like choosing the lesser of two evils. The Falcons have no idea who will be their quarterback for the rest of the 2023 season.
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