Tag: Ridder

Oct 29, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) stands in the pocket against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith: Falcons’ QB decision to come Wednesday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Following the Atlanta Falcons’ 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, all eyes are on the quarterback position with a home game against the Minnesota Vikings on deck.

Desmond Ridder was evaluated for a concussion and the team said he was cleared of a head injury, but he did not play in the second half and was replaced in the lineup by Taylor Heinicke.

Head coach Arthur Smith did not give a definitive answer when asked Monday who his starting quarterback would be against Minnesota.

“I gotta see where he (Ridder) is at,” Smith said. “That’s the best I can give you, but I gotta see where he’s at and see if that’s the best thing for this team this week. Obviously, it’s not something I’m concerned with long term. He’s done a lot of good things, but we have to find a way to go win this game. If it’s Taylor, that’s what we’ll do, but my concern is Des.”

Ridder played the first half against the Titans and completed 8 of 12 passes for 71 yards and ran for 26 yards. But he was sacked five times and lost a fumble when he was hit by defensive end Jeffery Simmons midway through the second quarter, which led to a Tennessee touchdown and a 14-3 lead.

After Atlanta totaled just 89 yards in the first half, Heinicke completed 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards and a score and guided the Falcons (4-4) to points on four of his first five possessions in the second half.

Facing continuous questions about the quarterback position, Smith said he would give an answer on who will be the starter by Wednesday.

“We’ll use the next 24 hours to evaluate,” Smith said. “We’ll obviously listen to the medical experts first and evaluate in the short term what’s best thing for Des, what’s best thing for this team. … I’m not going to sit here and play games because whoever is going to play this week to try and beat Minnesota is going to get the reps.”

The Vikings have won three in a row and four of their last five games, but they will arrive in Atlanta without star quarterback Kirk Cousins, who tore his right Achilles in Sunday’s 24-10 win over Green Bay and is out for the year.

With Cousins out, Minnesota (4-4) will likely turn to rookie Jaren Hall, with veteran Nick Mullens still on injured reserve and eligible to be activated ahead of Week 10. Hall replaced Cousins and completed 3 of 4 passes for 23 yards against the Packers.

A major bright spot for the Vikings has been the play of rookie receiver Jordan Addison. Through eight games, Addison has 36 receptions for 482 yards and seven touchdowns, which ranks second to only the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill (eight TDs receiving) for tops in the league. Addison has been a welcome addition since star wideout Justin Jefferson went on IR early this month with a hamstring injury.

–Atlanta defensive lineman Grady Jarrett tore his ACL in the loss to the Titans and is out for the year. The two-time Pro Bowler has been one of the NFL’s best interior linemen and had 1.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, two passes defended and 23 combined tackles (two for a loss) in eight starts this season.

“Hate it for Grady,” Smith said.

–Fullback Keith Smith (concussion) and wideout Drake London (groin) left Sunday’s game against the Titans.

“Guys with concussions will have to go through the protocols,” Smith said. “On Drake, don’t have an official timeline, but it wasn’t as bad as we thought, so there is some positive news there.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) is tackled by Washington Commanders defensive end Casey Toohill (95) in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith, Falcons focus on eliminating turnovers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Through six games this season, quarterback Desmond Ridder has three wins and a number of big-time throws.

But Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith knows the reality requires full context. And that total picture view means pointing out the Falcons’ three losses during which Atlanta produced less than 17 points each time, Ridder’s eight turnovers and 19 sacks, and consistent red-zone trouble.

“I don’t ever want to sound like I’m making excuses, what happened, happened. Macro or big-picture, he’s making some big-time throws,” Smith said. “Guys are open. Clearly, we’ve got to eliminate those turnovers.”

Smith placed both hands over his head and grimaced in unison with assistant coaches on the sideline when Ridder spoiled a chance for a potential game-tying sequence on Sunday. Trailing the Washington Commanders 24-16 with 5:11 left in the game, Ridder was picked off in the end zone by Benjamin St-Juste. He threw his third pick of the game to seal the Falcons’ fate on their next drive.

Atlanta had a chance to improve to 4-2 with a win, but dropped instead to 3-3 and failed to build on Ridder’s Week 5 outing, featuring a career-high 329 yards and game-winning drive in the Falcons’ 21-19 win over the Texans. Ridder had 307 yards passing with two touchdowns.

Smith said he wouldn’t use the word “discouraged” to describe the quarterback play and believes Ridder will respond the right way.

“He’s one of the more accountable people I’ve coached. You can’t deny the passing game has gotten a lot better, but you have to get rid of those critical mistakes,” Smith said.

Beyond Ridder’s confidence, Atlanta is also monitoring the health of rookie running back Bijan Robinson, who is 15th in the NFL in carries with 80 and tied for the team lead with 26 receptions. The No. 8 overall pick had 277 total touches at Texas last season.

Smith said the team will take workload into account.

“You have to be careful,” Smith said.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) passes the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

First NFL QB benched? New overwhelming favorite emerges

Posted on | by Field Level Media

All the ingredients are in place for the Atlanta Falcons to make a run at the postseason in the NFC South.

And that should make second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder very nervous.

The Falcons (2-2) are only a game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South, and have two games remaining against the Buccaneers. However, they have also scored a combined 13 points in dropping their past two games.

Ridder, who was given the starting job after showing promise in place of Marcus Mariota at the end of last season, has thrown three touchdowns against three interceptions this season while posting a 77.9 passer rating.

With the offense fledgling, Ridder faces a potentially critical Week 5 home game against the surging Houston Texans. Lose on Sunday, and coach Arthur Smith could be extremely tempted to turn to veteran backup Taylor Heinicke, who started 24 games for Washington over the past two years.

That’s why SportsBetting.ag has elevated Ridder to the +100 favorite this week to be the first NFL starting quarterback benched this season. That’s well ahead of his closest competition, New England’s Mac Jones at +500.

Jones was pulled from last week’s 38-3 blowout loss to Dallas, but the third-year quarterback received a vote of confidence from Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

“He blames himself. The game wasn’t lost because of one guy,” O’Brien said Tuesday. “The game was lost, on our part, because of how poorly we played and coached in the game.

“We have a lot of belief in Mac; I think he’ll get back to doing it the way he knows how to do it.”

FIRST QB BENCHED ODDS*
Desmond Ridder, Falcons (+100)
Mac Jones, Patriots (+500)
Sam Howell, Commanders (+900)
Justin Fields, Bears (+1000)
Kenny Pickett, Steelers (+1000)
Russell Wilson, Broncos (+1000)
Ryan Tannehill, Titans (+1000)
Jimmy Garoppolo, Raiders (+1800)
Kirk Cousins, Vikings (+1800)
Bryce Young, Panthers (+2000)
Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers (+4000)
*SportsBetting.ag

Mayfield, who topped this list earlier in the season, has seen his odds lengthen significantly while guiding the Bucs to a 3-1 start.

So, too, has Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill. The Titans are 2-2 along with the rest of the AFC South, and oddsmakers believe for now that coach Mike Vrabel will stick with his veteran quarterback.

The third-shortest odds belong to another first-year starter in Washington’s Sam Howell (+900). After a disastrous Week 3 outing against Buffalo in which he threw four interceptions, the former North Carolina star rebounded by throwing for 290 yards and a touchdown in last week’s overtime loss at Philadelphia.

–Field Level Media

Sep 17, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball against the Green Bay Packers in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Young offense has Arthur Smith’s Falcons eyeing 3-0 start

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Following a 25-24 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers, the Atlanta Falcons have a chance to do something they haven’t done since 2017: open a season 3-0.

If the Falcons go to Detroit and defeat the Lions — just as they did in Week 3 of that 2017 season — it will mark just the seventh time in 58 years that Atlanta has started a campaign with three wins.

Rookie running back Bijan Robinson, second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder and the Falcons’ talented young core on offense are a big reason for Atlanta’s hot start.

Robinson, as explosive a runner as they come, rushed for 124 yards on 19 carries in the win over the Packers. The No. 8 overall pick added four catches for 48 yards, proving his unique ability as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

“There is a reason why we drafted him as high as we did, the same with (tight end) Kyle (Pitts) and (wide receiver) Drake (London),” Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Monday. “All of them had impacts and we hope Bijan can continue to do that and keep improving. There are plays he makes that he’s very natural at, but that kinda takes the credit away from how hard he works.”

Ridder played arguably his best game as a pro against Green Bay. In his sixth NFL start, Ridder completed 19 of 32 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown. He also had 39 yards on the ground and scored on a crucial 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter, which sparked a 13-0 Falcons run to close the game.

“You saw some of that last year with him, and that was a thing you liked about him. He can extend plays,” Smith said of Ridder’s progression in and out of the pocket.

“Sometimes it wasn’t necessarily the protection, it was he felt the lane, and he’s got enough speed that if he takes the lane he can make the play.”

Ridder also threw his first career interception, but Smith still praised his young quarterback for coming through late in the game.

“He’s a winner,” Smith said. “The guys believe in him. You can see it in their eyes in critical situations, he’s at his best.”

After not catching a pass in the season opener, London, a second-year pro, had team highs in receptions (six) and yards (67) against the Packers. His 3-yard touchdown reception late in the second quarter helped trim Green Bay’s lead to 10-9 at halftime.

Second-year tailback Tyler Allgeier has played his new role to a tee after setting Atlanta’s franchise rookie single-season rushing record with 1,035 yards. Allgeier (5-foot-11, 220 pounds) and Robinson (5-11, 215) are almost identical in size and the two are complementing each other in the Falcons’ hard-nosed rushing attack.

The Falcons head to the Motor City Sunday to take on a Lions team (1-1) coming off a 37-31 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

“We know we have a tough challenge going on the road to face Detroit, who lost a tough one in overtime last week,” Smith said. “I’m sure the place will be rocking. We’re going into a foreign environment so I’m sure it’ll be loud, a lot of energy in the building, so we will need to be ready to roll.”

Outside of veteran quarterback Jared Goff, Detroit, like Atlanta, is also a young team offensively, especially at the skill spots.

First-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs has 14 carries for 59 yards and nine receptions for 57 yards this season. Starting tight end Sam LaPorta, a second-round pick, has 10 receptions for 102 yards to open his rookie year.

Third-year pros Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell are arguably the Lions’ two best players. In Detroit’s first two games, St. Brown has tallied 12 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown as the Lions’ top wideout. Sewell started at right tackle last year but moved to left tackle last week in place of Taylor Decker (ankle).

–Falcons all-purpose back Cordarrelle Patterson (thigh) and cornerback Jeff Okudah (foot) did not play for the second straight game. Both players were limited in practice last week.

Smith said the team escaped basically injury-free in the win over the Packers.

“Nothing major, just some bumps and bruises,” Smith said. “It was a physical game but nothing really of any concern.”

–Robinson ranks second in the NFL in rushing behind San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey. Robinson has 180 yards on the ground in two games and is averaging 6.2 yards per carry on 29 attempts.

–Field Level Media

Jul 28, 2023; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) on the field during training camp at IBM Performance Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons QB Desmond Ridder riding high with owner’s endorsement

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Falcons owner Arthur Blank put some pep in the step of second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder this week.

Blank publicly endorsed Ridder and head coach Arthur Smith said on Wednesday that the four starts at quarterback made the former third-round draft pick in 2022 helped the team chart the course ahead with confidence.

“There’s no unknown anymore,” Smith said.

Ridder is the No. 1 quarterback in Atlanta where the Falcons have shuffled the depth chart to include Taylor Heinecke. Marcus Mariota began last season as the starter but left the team after Ridder’s promotion for the final four games of the regular season.

“That’s comforting for me to know Mr. Blank and everyone in the organization believes in me,” said Ridder, who passed for 708 yards and two touchdowns last season, with no interceptions over 115 attempts.

Blank said the Falcons won’t have every answer on the QB situation until games take place, but the organization is leaning a positive direction with Ridder.

“We feel pretty strongly that he’s going to be our quarterback in the future,” Blank said Tuesday.

Ridder said his vision and goals exceed even the strongest supporters in the organization. He makes sure not to spend his “two minutes” each day on social media investing in other opinions, but couldn’t help but acknowledge the owner’s stamp of approval.

“For me it’ll hit a little more closer to home than what the other media says,” Ridder said. “But especially in camp, I don’t see that or know about it. For me, it’s about going to work and grinding.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons plan to add QB, part with Marcus Mariota

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Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot cleared the path for Atlanta to pursue another quarterback on Tuesday.

Fontenot, speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, said he was impressed by rookie Desmond Ridder’s showing in December. But the Falcons plan to add at the position, he said, and Atlanta is diving into options in the draft, free agency and the trade market.

“Ultimately, we’re going to add at the position,” he said. “We’re always going to leave every door open. Whether it’s the (eighth pick) or some other point in the draft, we could definitely bring in a quarterback. We don’t want to box ourselves in.”

The Falcons have the No. 8 pick in the first round and are a projected $75 million below the 2023 salary cap, meaning no contract is too onerous for the franchise to absorb. It’s part of the reason the team is consistently connected to rumors around Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“If you have a lot of cap space, that means you have a lot of work to do,” Fontenot said.

Ridder, 23, became prominent in the team’s plans at this event last February. Fontenot cited the then-Cincinnati QB as the player who stood out the most in a sea of 330 prospects, and he met personally with 50 prospects along with his scouting staff and coaches.

But if the chance to upgrade at “critical positions” presents itself, Fontenot said the Falcons will investigate those options.

Atlanta officially released Mariota, 29, on Tuesday, Fontenot confirmed.

“We really appreciate Marcus and all the things he did while he was here,” Fontenot said.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) scrambles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons owner ‘very excited’ about QB Desmond Ridder

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Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank stopped short of saying Desmond Ridder will be the team’s starting quarterback next season, but does believe the team has an exciting young talent at the position.

Ridder took over the starting job in Week 15 and threw for 708 yards and a pair of touchdowns while leading the Falcons to a 2-2 finish.

“We’re very excited about Desmond Ridder,” Blank told reporters on Wednesday in his first public comments since the end of the season. “I think from the time he came into training camp, he showed great capabilities as a leader amongst the rookies and then amongst the vets.”

Ridder was drafted in the third round out of Cincinnati and spent most of the season behind veteran Marcus Mariota. After taking over the reins of the offense, Ridder did not throw an interception while completing 63.5 percent of his passes.

Blank pointed out the progress Ridder showed, culminating in a season-ending win over Tampa Bay in which he completed 19 of 30 passes for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His passer rating improved in each of his four starts, concluding with a 108.2 mark against the Buccaneers.

Mariota is not expected to return and the only other quarterback currently on the roster is late-season signee Logan Woodside. The Falcons currently hold the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and while they will certainly add competition for Ridder at some point this offseason, Blank didn’t sound inclined to pursue a high-priced veteran option.

“As good as a quarterback may be, and they’re certainly a big part of a winning formula, they can’t play by themselves,” Blank said. “There’s 21 other (starters) that need to play as well so we’re committed to the position obviously and we know we need to think about it and I think we have it in Ridder.”

After swallowing $63 million in dead cap space last season after parting with Matt Ryan, the 23-year-old Ridder still has three years remaining on his rookie contract. Whether it’s Ridder or another incoming rookie at the helm, the ability to build around a rookie contract at quarterback is certainly appealing.

“When you have that opportunity, that’s the perfect set of circumstances,” Blank said. “The perfect storm, if you will, in a positive way, not a negative way. When you have a quarterback who you draft and have for four or five years, that’s a really big deal.”

“In the history of the Super Bowl, there hasn’t been one quarterback that represented 20 percent or more of the roster compensation.”

The Falcons are coming off their fifth consecutive losing season, and Blank admitted he’s looking for improvement heading into the third year with coach Arthur Smith. Along with Ridder, fourth-round running back Tyler Allgeier set the franchise rookie rushing record with 1,023 yards.

First-round wide receiver Drake London led the team with 72 catches — a franchise rookie record — for 866 yards, and the team received strong contributions from second-round linebackers Troy Andersen and Arnold Ebiketie and third-round linebacker DeAngelo Malone.

“We have a lot of young players that have developed at a very nice level and really have their best capabilities going forward, so I feel good about where we are,” Blank said. “And I think we have every reason as a fan and an owner to feel better about our team than we have in the last couple of years.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) runs the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith, Falcons proud of rookie class after season finale

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If Sunday’s 30-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was any indication, the Atlanta Falcons’ future looks bright due to a promising rookie class that really emerged as the season progressed.

First-year players Desmond Ridder, Tyler Allgeier and Drake London stole the show on offense in the victory over the Bucs, while fellow rookie Troy Andersen continued his strong play at linebacker on a young defense as the Falcons finished the season 7-10 for the second straight year.

It’s still too early to say if Ridder, a third-round pick, is Atlanta’s future at quarterback moving forward. But in four starts, Ridder made a case that he should be QB1 when the team opens the 2023 season due to his quick decision-making and strong arm.

In the win over the Bucs, Ridder fired his first two touchdown passes as a pro and completed 19 of 30 passes for a season-high 224 yards. For the season, he was 73 of 115 for 708 yards and two scores, good for an 86.4 passer rating.

Allgeier surpassed William Andrews (1,023) for the most rushing yards by a rookie in franchise history by running for 135 yards in the win over Tampa Bay (8-9). Allgeier, a fifth-round pick, rushed 210 times for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns for the year.

“There’s a reason we drafted him,” Atlanta coach Arthur Smith said. “I was pretty pleased with the way he was trending and then some of it was opportunities happen. I don’t know if anybody was running the ball better than (Cordarrelle Patterson) was earlier in the year around the league and unfortunately, he missed some time, and it was an opportunity where I thought Allgeier stepped in and did a nice job. So did Caleb Huntley. And I think he really took off so, some of it is by circumstance, but we had a lot of confidence when we took him out of BYU.”

London, a first-round pick, had six catches for a season-high 120 yards against the Bucs. He led the team in receptions (72) and yards (866) and tied for the team lead with four TDs.

Andersen, a second-round pick, started five games and had 69 tackles, three for a loss. Arnold Ebiketie, a second-round pick, and DeAngelo Malone, a third-round pick, also played significant roles on an Atlanta defense that could really take off if the Falcons can put the ball in the end zone more often.

“The next challenge is to make sure we become more explosive offensively,” Smith said. “We need more of a pass rush. I get all that. But every game except for one up in Cincinnati was a dogfight. These guys embraced it. There’s a big difference between this 7-10 and the last one.”

–Defensive coordinator Dean Peas, 73, announced his retirement after 50 years of coaching. Peas coached in high school, college and the pros and won Super Bowls with New England and Baltimore.

–Linebacker Rashaan Evans, cornerback Isaiah Oliver and right tackle Kaleb McGary are the team’s key free agents.

–Atlanta will have the No. 8 pick overall in the NFL draft. Don’t be surprised if upgrading the pass rush will be a top priority. Receiver, cornerback and the offensive and defensive lines are other areas that could use a boost in talent.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith: Desmond Ridder played with ‘great poise and demeanor’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Atlanta Falcons are a work in progress under the direction of second-year head coach Arthur Smith.

But after a last-second 20-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak, rookie Desmond Ridder is beginning to make an argument to be the team’s future at quarterback.

In this third career start, Ridder orchestrated a 12-play, 72-yard game-winning drive, which was capped by Younghoe Koo’s 21-yard field goal as time expired.

The win improved Atlanta’s record to 6-10 and gave Smith’s team a shot of momentum before the team hosts the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) in Sunday’s season finale.

Ridder completed 19 of 26 passes for 169 yards on the day. On the Falcons’ last drive, he was 3-for-3 for 31 yards, which included a key 14-yard completion to tight end MyCole Pruitt. Smith said Monday that he had all the belief in the world that his quarterback could execute with the game on the line.

“We could’ve gone super conservative and run it and see what happens and force them to use their timeouts,” Smith said. “But we decided to be aggressive and trust Desmond and the offensive unit. I like the way he operated. That’s three games in a row where I thought in the fourth quarter, when you needed him, he’s had great poise and demeanor so it shows the trust we have in him and the offensive unit.”

Pruitt has seen his role expand in recent weeks after being on the practice squad. The seventh-year pro had four receptions for a team-high 49 yards against the Cardinals.

“MyCole is a guy that I coached at Tennessee,” Smith said. “We picked him up in 2018 off Houston’s practice squad. … Sometimes it takes some time for those guys to find a role. It’s a tough position to play, especially depending on your scheme.

“I think he’s a really smart and instinctive player. He’s played some really meaningful snaps for us. He had a pretty bad injury last year so that was part of the reason why he didn’t sign with anybody. But he’s taken advantage of the opportunity here. Obviously, we have a lot of trust in him and clearly Desmond does too.”

–Left guard has been a revolving door for Atlanta due to injuries, but Matt Hennessy got the start there against Arizona and played well.

“It was nice to see Matt Hennessy to get in there and contribute,” Smith said. “We’ve played a lot of guys different guys at left guard. He played well in that spot and it was good to see.”

–Tyler Allgeier had 20 carries for 83 yards and a score against Arizona. He is 100 yards shy of 1,000 in his rookie campaign.

–Koo is 23 of 24 on field goal attempts inside of 50 yards. He is 6 of 10 on kicks between 50 and 59 yards.

–The Falcons released practice squad wide receiver Cameron Batson on Monday after he was arrested over the weekend. Batson has yet to be released from Fulton County jail as of Monday afternoon and faces five charges: aggravated assault, battery, aggravates assault against a law enforcement officer when engaged on official duty, removal or attempted removal of weapon from public official and driving/fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.

–Field Level Media

Dec 18, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) drops back to pass against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

‘Operated really well’: Arthur Smith assesses Ridder’s first Falcons start

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The Atlanta Falcons had a new face behind center in Sunday’s 21-18 road loss to the New Orleans Saints.

But for the third time in their last six games, the result was the same: a three-point loss.

In his first career NFL start, Desmond Ridder completed 13 of 26 passes for 97 yards. But he proved why he was one of the top dual threats in college football a season ago by running for 38 yards on six carries, good for a 6.3-yard average.

Head coach Arthur Smith said in Monday’s press conference that despite playing on the road in one of the league’s loudest venues, Ridder did a good job communicating and getting Atlanta (5-9) lined up on offense.

“(Communication) is a huge part of the job to operate at quarterback,” Smith said. “There are obviously some things we all have to clean up in the passing game, but he operated really well. At times when it got loud, he was able to get us set. Even use some of the hurry-up counts, and it didn’t rattle him.

“There are some things we’ll continue to work on, and we can help on things he can improve on. Other than that, I though he did a nice job.”

Ridder looked rusty, and at times wide-eyed, early on against a talented Saints group that currently ranks 11th in the league in total defense (327.6 yards per game) and 10th in sacks (38). The Falcons were limited to just three points in the first half, but they outscored New Orleans 15-7 in the second half despite Ridder averaging only 3.7 yards per pass.

“It was the first time he’s been in the pocket in a couple of months,” Smith said. “That was a good, veteran defense and they play aggressive. I thought early on he was a little amped up. You could see by the way he was quickly moving. But I thought once he settled down, he did a nice job, especially on some critical downs.”

Atlanta hits the road Sunday to take on the Baltimore Ravens (9-5) in a must-win situation with the team’s slim playoff chances hanging in the balance. The Falcons are currently one game back of Tampa Bay (6-8) and in a three-way tie with Carolina and New Orleans for second place in the NFC South.

Going up against a rugged Ravens defense will present another challenge for Ridder — and Atlanta’s powerful rushing attack — in Week 16. Baltimore is third in the league in run defense (85.6 yards per game) and fifth in scoring defense (18.8 points per game). The Ravens are also fifth in the league in sacks (42).

Smith is hoping to see continued progression from Ridder in the second start of his career.

“There are things that we’ll continue to work on that he saw for the first time,” Smith said. “But a big part of it as a young player is to not repeat the same mistakes.”

–In addition to scoring his second touchdown of the season, rookie tailback Tyler Allgeier had career highs in rushing attempts (17) and yards (139) for 8.2 yards per carry. He now has 743 yards rushing on the season, which leads the team.

–The Falcons rank next-to-last in the league in passing offense, averaging 150.9 yards per game. Only the Chicago Bears (137.1 yards per game) are worse.

“We have to make more progress in the passing game,” Smith said. “We need more production. We need more points.”

–Field Level Media