Falcons Quarterback Change: Arthur Smith names a surprise new QB as starter over Taylor Heinicke

The Falcons are making another change.

Less than three weeks after naming Taylor Heinicke as their starting quarterback, Atlanta has returned to Desmond Ridder as the team enters a critical stretch of games.
The Falcons went into the season with Ridder as their starting quarterback, but the second-year quarterback committed nine turnovers in his last four starts before being benched in a loss to the Titans. Ridder’s fumbles were just as costly as his interceptions, as he lost three in a win over the Buccaneers and another before being benched against Tennessee.

Nonetheless, Arthur Smith has seen enough to end Heinicke’s brief tenure as Falcons starter and give Ridder another chance.

The Falcons’ new quarterback is explained.
The Falcons will roll with Ridder as their starter out of their bye week, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who added that Atlanta’s goal was “to name a starter and stick with him the rest of the season rather than go back and forth.” That means Ridder’s status won’t be a week-to-week concern in the long run.
Why go back to Ridder? According to NFL Network’s James Palmer, the Falcons believed Ridder’s errors were “correctable” and that the Cincinnati product “needed a reset.”
Smith expressed a similar sentiment to reporters this week before deciding on a starter, saying, “Sometimes you need a fresh perspective.”

Palmer stated that a return to Ridder was “always planned” unless Heinicke went on a rampage.

While the notion that the Falcons always intended to return to Ridder as their starter could simply be a way of letting Heinicke off the hook, it is true that the former Commanders signal-caller did not go on any sort of run during his brief stint as Atlanta’s starter.
Heinicke did have fewer turnovers than Ridder, committing only one in two and a half games, but he never led the Falcons to victory. Atlanta lost to the Vikings and Cardinals, and also failed to mount a comeback when Heinicke took over for Ridder midway through the Titans game.

At the same time, the Falcons blew leads in both of Heinicke’s starts, surrendering 28 points on average. Atlanta’s problems extend beyond the quarterback position, putting Ridder in a difficult position with the season already on the line.

The Falcons have lost four of their last five games and are now 4-6 in the NFC South, trailing both the Saints and the Buccaneers. With division leader New Orleans only a game ahead of Atlanta, Ridder returns confident that the team can compete.

Ridder won’t have much time to adjust as the Falcons face the Saints right out of their bye week before facing the Jets’ tough defense. However, Atlanta’s remaining schedule does not include a single team with a winning record.

Stats for Desmond Ridder-Taylor Heinicke