FLOWERY BRANCH, Georgia — Desmond Ridder made his first start after the bye week last season against the New Orleans Saints. This Sunday will be very similar. The Falcons are coming off a bye, and Ridder will make his first appearance since regaining his starting spot on Monday.
However, the two games could not be more dissimilar.
It’s not just because Ridder made his NFL debut in a hostile environment like the Superdome as a rookie, and Sunday will be his 13th start. It’s also distinct because of what he’s learned while watching from the sidelines over the last few weeks.
“He’s done a really good job of that and has taken advantage of what can be perceived as a major negative,” Arthur Smith, the team’s head coach, said Monday, “and try to turn it into a positive for not just the short-term, but for the rest of his career.”
After taking over the position from Marcus Mariota late last year, Ridder started the first eight games this season and four in 2022. Taylor Heinicke has led Atlanta’s offense for the last two games and change, including a second half in the Week 8 loss to Tennessee.
Ridder had the opportunity to learn from Heinicke in a productive manner. When Ridder was working with Smith and Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone, he noticed Heinicke’s communication style. Heinicke took a more open approach, collaborating on what worked and what didn’t for the veteran quarterback.
“It kind of clicked in my head something that might be a little different or something that might help,” Ridder said in an interview.
Ridder has adopted that practice heading into the Week 12 game, working to be more open in meetings as he continues to grow and find his own style.
Ridder also noticed the team’s overall energy throughout the games he watched from the bench. He noted lulls on the Falcons’ sideline, emphasizing its significance as the Falcons are on a three-game losing streak.
“If everyone’s just locked in for 60 minutes on all sides of the ball, all phases, playing fast playing with speed playing physical — I think you’ll see a very dominant Atlanta Falcons see out there,” Ridder said in a statement.
The Falcons will face every divisional opponent in a tightly contested NFC South over the next four games, including another meeting with New Orleans in Week 18.
“Everything is in front of us. “We still have the division ahead of us,” Ridder explained. “We have everything we want to get in front of us.”
Ridder’s routine remained unchanged despite taking a back seat for a few weeks. He still led a weekly quarterback and pass catcher meeting for players only. In the locker room, he continued to remind teammates by calling out the time of the meeting over and over. To summarize, he still prepared like a beginner.
When Heinicke was named QB1 for two games, he encouraged Ridder’s quarterback to maintain the same level of intensity.
“I told him everything that he was doing when he was starting, keep doing it,” Heinicke told reporters prior to the Arizona game. “Running the meetings, everything, because as a young quarterback that goes a long way, and I think that’s going to help him in the long run.”
It also helped in the short term when Ridder took over for Heinicke in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals after Heinicke suffered a hamstring injury. The Falcons were defeated in a close game, but Ridder came in and played well. Before losing his starting job, he rushed for a touchdown on a similar play that resulted in a turnover.
Since naming Ridder the starter for the rest of the season, Smith has repeatedly praised Ridder for how he handled the quarterback shuffle.
Moments like that, according to Smith, can make or break a person’s career.
“Everybody wants to get in front of the parade when it’s going well,” he said. “When it isn’t, you have to appreciate how fortunate you are to be able to do what you love.” You discover who you are and what you are made of.”
Ridder will continue to play without hesitation, without overthinking, and by sticking to what has gotten him this far.
“It’s a challenge every single day, not only in football but in life as well,” Ridder said in a statement. “It’s just not what happens when you get punched, but how quick you’re gonna get back up and keep going.”
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