Falcons' Desmond Ridder: Remains in backup role
Head coach Arthur Smith announced earlier in the week that Ridder will remain in a backup role Sunday against the Cardinals while Taylor Heinicke gets a second straight turn as the Falcons' starting quarterback, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. "We will go with Taylor this week," Smith said. "And reassess going into the [Week 11] bye."
Heinicke replaced Ridder in the second half of the team's Week 8 loss to the Titans and has completed 33 of 59 attempts (55.9 percent) for 443 yards (7.5 YPA), two touchdowns and one interception while adding 34 yards on five carries through his first six quarters as the Falcons' quarterback. Though Ridder has fared comparably to Heinicke from an efficiency standpoint through his eight starts (65.4 percent completion rate, 7.1 YPA) and presents more of a rushing threat, the second-year signal-caller's issues with turnovers (six interceptions, six lost fumbles) have undone most of his good work. According to Rothstein, Smith went on to say Wednesday that he's averse to playing "musical chairs" with his two quarterbacks, so expect the Falcons to put an end to their week-to-week approach to the starting role and settle on a permanent option coming out of their bye. How Heinicke performs against the Cardinals will likely be a major factor in the Falcons' decision.
