Falcons QB Desmond Ridder Has ‘Taken a Step,’ Says Coach Arthur Smith
The Atlanta Falcons will enter Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints with a new face under center.
No, literally.
Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder, officially named the starter by coach Arthur Smith in a press conference Monday, will be taking his first ever regular season snap when he trots onto the field inside Caesars Superdome.
Since posting encouraging numbers in the preseason, Ridder has served as Marcus Mariota’s backup in all 13 games; in many cases, he’s been the lone active offensive player to not see a single snap.
As a result, there’s little substance to bank on regarding Ridder’s play Sunday. After all, he’s been out of the public eye for three and a half months. But behind the scenes, the two-time American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year has made considerable strides.
But where exactly has Ridder improved the most?
"I think mentally,” Smith answered. “Physically, felt good or we would've signed another guy to give us a security blanket if we worried about some of the physical's. But mentally, that's what we expect and anticipate translating (to) hopefully more success down in New Orleans."
The idea of Ridder being the backup – and just “one play away” from seeing the field – is something Smith feels shows Atlanta’s faith in what the 23-year-old has to offer. Around the league, teams with young, undeveloped quarterbacks often carry three players at the position; the Green Bay Packers did it for multiple years with Jordan Love often a healthy scratch, and the Miami Dolphins did similar things with Skylar Thompson.
But not the Falcons; they felt Ridder had the goods to deliver if forced into action. And now, as he gets ready for his first action, Ridder’s growth is set to be on full display – and Smith is confident in what’s to come, in large part because of what he’s seen on the practice field and in the meeting rooms.
"The growth of Desmond that we've seen, he's been one play away all season,” Smith said. “Feel very comfortable with where he's at right now, to be able to handle the gameplan and operate at full capacity. We would've adapted if he had to play early in the season but feel really good where he's at right now.”
The gameplan and operation aspect links back to what Smith stressed regarding Ridder’s mental development – had the former Cincinnati Bearcat been forced to play in the season’s first few weeks, Atlanta’s offensive staff would’ve been forced to adjust … but not now.
"I think if we had to (play Ridder) early in the season we would've,” said Smith, of playbook changes. “That's what you do in coaching - you're always going to lean into the strengths of your players, certainly at the quarterback spot. But certainly now, where he's at and the growth and improvement that we feel he's made, not a lot (of alterations). That factored into it as well - if I thought that we had to restrict him, that wouldn't be the best move, that wouldn't be fair to this team."
There were many points when Smith faced outside pressure to insert Ridder, largely starting after a Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which the Falcons offense was shutout for three quarters. The voices only grew louder following a sloppy performance from Mariota in Atlanta’s loss to the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football.
But through it all, Smith remained loyal to Mariota … in part because Ridder wasn’t quite ready – but things have changed of late.
“Where (Ridder’s) evolved, I think he's taken a step in the last month," Smith declared.
Grasping the playbook remains perhaps the most important area that Ridder’s grown in, but he’s also hit his stride in terms of managing the daily tasks of being a quarterback. Even as a backup, Ridder was putting in significant time before, during and after practice to learn the scheme and build chemistry with his receivers.
Finding a routine is something Smith pointed to as being crucial to the success of signal callers, with each one he’s coached having different approaches. Managing to keep Ridder on schedule is one of the most important jobs of this week, as the rookie will receive a plethora of new tasks, including his first pre-scheduled media availability session.
It's expected to be a lot to handle, but Smith believes in the third-round pick’s ability to do so.
“There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes and what you have to prepare to be a quarterback - it's a huge job,” Smith said. “There's a lot that factors into it, and we've seen a lot of improvement from him, which gives you a lot more confidence, (but) it doesn't guarantee anything on Sunday; we've got to prepare well all week.”
Smith stressed confidence in Ridder, and the public vote of trust is nice – but arguably more important is that his actions speak louder than his words.
The Falcons, despite holding just a 5-8 record, remain only one game out of the lead in the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently sit atop the division, host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, which is expected to be a difficult game to win. As such, if Atlanta can defeat New Orleans, it’ll be tied for the division lead with three games to play – including a potential winner-take-all in Week 18 against Tampa Bay.
Playoff hopes aside, Ridder will be making his debut on the road in a raucous environment against a division rival, with the lights as bright as they’ve been all season. And yet, Smith is rolling with the youngster, because he truly believes he provides the best chance to lead Atlanta to victory and is more than capable of handling the spotlight.
"If I thought the moment was too big for him, I wouldn't put him out there,” Smith asserted. “I think that's what gives me a lot of confidence. Again, it doesn't guarantee anything, it's his first start. You can make a subjective argument when the perfect time is if you make a move ... but the reality is our circumstances changed, where I felt we need to push this offense.
"There's certainly a risk every time you make that, if you take a step back, but we've got a lot of confidence in Desmond."
Confidence aplenty, Smith, Ridder and the rest of the Falcons are set to kickoff at 1 p.m. in New Orleans, where all eyes will be on how the rookie signal caller handles the moment … but if Smith’s words are any indication, he’s more than prepared for it.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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