Flick's Forum: Atlanta Falcons QB Desmond Ridder 'Best He's Been' in Statement-Making Win
Oh, the difference a week - and a win - can make.
For Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith, the last six days have included double-digit questions about quarterback Desmond Ridder's job security, which Smith acknowledged last Monday were understandable.
But after Sunday's 21-19 win over the Houston Texans inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the narrative around Ridder was entirely different.
Questions about Ridder were asked, but not for the same reason - and it took Smith just three words in his postgame press conference to summarize his signal caller's afternoon.
“Pretty damn good,” Smith said.
Indeed, Ridder was good - statistically as good as he's been as a professional.
Making his ninth professional start, Ridder completed a career-high 27 of 39 passes for a career-high 329 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers and no sacks. He found 10 different receivers and added a score on the ground.
Ridder's 329 passing yards were the most by a Falcons quarterback since Matt Ryan's 343 against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 of 2021, and he became just the second quarterback in franchise history to eclipse 300 passing yards with no interceptions, score a rushing touchdown and avoid being sacked, joining Ryan's performance in the 2017 NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers.
In other words: Ridder's performance was one of the best by a Falcons passer in years ... and even with mounting external pressure, those inside Atlanta's locker room were entirely unsurprised by the showing.
“That’s Des," receiver KhaDarel Hodge said. “Regardless of what people say, Des is going to be true to Des. He’s a leader. He’s a baller. Regardless of what people say, he’s strong minded, and he’s going to produce.”
But in the previous two weeks, Ridder didn't really produce.
Across a pair of losses in which the Falcons were outscored 43-13, Ridder completed 40 of 69 passes (58 percent) for 392 yards, one touchdown, three turnovers and took 11 sacks.
That's why Smith understood the questions about Ridder's job - but the resiliency he's seen from the 24-year-old since taking over as the starter in Week 15 last season gave Atlanta's third-year coach confidence that he had the right guy.
This belief was reaffirmed in the second half of the Falcons' Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, when Smith liked how Ridder responded after throwing two first-half interceptions, and only continued throughout the week.
Smith revealed after Atlanta's win over Houston that he knew Ridder was in a good place mentally by Wednesday, when practices began. The former Cincinnati Bearcat impressed with his mentality and preparation, which remained unchanged despite recent struggles.
Typically, when questions about job security arise, the situation doesn't often improve. Ridder proved to be the exception - in large part because he didn't pay an ounce of attention to any of those outside conversations, instead focusing on getting his team back in the win column.
“It's all within self," Ridder said. “I really don't care what the outside world has to say as long as myself and my teammates are on the same page. We're just going to keep getting better, not only myself, but the team as well, and just keep improving.”
Ridder's leadership has been well-documented; it's often the first thing teammates and coaches point to, and his command and vocal presence are clear when he's on the field.
But the trait was put to its biggest test yet this week, tasked with figuring out offensive woes after scoring just three first half points in the last two weeks and finding the endzone just once.
The response?
Atlanta's offense put up season-highs with 447 yards and 26 first downs while putting together three drives of 70-plus yards and overcoming several self-inflicted wounds along the way to victory.
And yet, even with by far his most productive day as a professional already secured, Ridder was staring down a third consecutive loss when he and the offense trotted onto the field with 1:49 to play in the fourth quarter.
Ridder's message inside the huddle was simple.
“Just, ‘No penalties, let’s just get out of here with a win,’" tight end Kyle Pitts said.
The drive started with a checkdown to running back Bijan Robinson in the left flat; he made his second one-handed catch of the game and gained six yards.
Next was a five-yard pass to London, followed by a five-yard scramble and six-yard completion to London again. Ridder then hit Pitts for four yards, capitalizing on what the signal caller dubbed "off and soft" coverage from Houston's secondary.
All of the underneath passes set up perhaps the biggest play of the game: a 23-yard strike to London, pushing Atlanta well into field goal range for kicker Younghoe Koo and all but putting the finishing touches on Ridder's first live two-minute drill as a pro.
But this wasn't the first time Ridder has done such a thing.
The throw to London was practiced many times. Successful two-minute drives are accomplished nearly every single day. There's a level of confidence in the preparation and mid-week work that clearly translated Sunday.
Better yet, the entire sideline felt it. The Falcons have seen Ridder orchestrate those drives time and again - and starting linebacker Nate Landman had full belief he'd do it again.
“We've always been super confident in Des," Landman said. “Des is a baller, and Des is our quarterback for a reason. He went out and showed it and proved why he’s our quarterback. It’s not news to us, it’s not a surprise to us. We knew Des had that in him. He had a great game, and we’re all super proud of him.”
Desmond Ridder logged his third career fourth quarter comeback Sunday.
Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta drove 49 yards on six plays in less than a minute, and Koo nailed a 37-yard field goal as time expired to push the Falcons (3-2) over the Texans (2-3).
Ridder remains undefeated at home in both college and the NFL, holding a 31-0 record, and Atlanta's off to a 3-0 home start for the first time since 2015, thus making it the first time since moving to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Such a win - and final drive - proved to Ridder that he can stay calm, cool and collected in those moments, he said ... but Smith knew long ago.
It links back to the mentality he's long sensed from the 6-3, 215-pound signal caller, and serves as a shining light of just how valuable high-level leadership can be.
“He was about as cool as you can be," Smith said. “A lot of times I just look at players, and that look in his eye, and all our guys ... They executed the plan, took control of the situation, and then when he needed to deliver one, we got the look we wanted, and he did.
“I think what it says a lot about him. Takes a special mindset. He's got the right mindset.”
Ridder's leadership was recognized once more before the game, as he served as Atlanta's sixth captain on gameday, an honor one player gets alongside the five permanent captains.
It was the first time Ridder's been a captain as a professional and reflected how impressive he was during the week. And yet, his on-field performance may have one-upped anything he did at the team's training facility in Flowery Branch.
But it's important to continue stressing that Ridder's performance didn't surprise a soul in Atlanta's locker room. If anything, there was relief - not that he proved himself to any of them, but that he showed the rest of the league what he does each and every day throughout the week.
“He did what he's been doing in practice," defensive tackle David Onyemata said. ”He's just been making the good read, getting the ball to his playmakers and just playing good football. I think this is the best he's been in his career, but you see it in practice.
”So, I think he's just getting more comfortable, and I was really impressed with him today.”
Ridder knew he had full support in the locker room. London has said as much in each of the past two weeks, noting he'd never lose confidence in the person whom he shared a room with during rookie minicamp.
But the outside noise was as loud as it's been yet. In the span of eight games, Ridder went from the next best thing as Marcus Mariota's replacement to having an entire city calling for his job.
It's easy to forget that Ridder's still so inexperienced as a professional quarterback, largely because he was named the starter in late March and thus went through the entire offseason program holding the title.
But under normal circumstances, eight games isn't really enough to give a fair evaluation, especially with Ridder sitting at 4-4 in those starts.
Of course, there wasn't a ton of evidence supporting his case as the starter ... but prior to the two-game skid, largely hadn't been bad enough to damage his reputation, either.
Smith focused on drilling perspective into his young quarterback this week, reminding him that he's not the first player to have a tough stretch.
Ridder responded well during the week, but it's a result-driven business, and he still had to perform on Sunday ... and he did exactly that.
It's not just a loud message from Ridder but the most convincing effort he's had to date regarding his long-term candidacy to lead the Falcons under center.
“It does a lot," London said. "He already has the confidence, he’s already the leader, and this game is just another building block to his resume.”
Ridder's performance becomes even more impressive when considering who he did it against.
The Texans entered Sunday's game ranked No. 9 in the NFL in passing defense, allowing only 195 yards per. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had the previous best passing performance against the unit, generating 288 yards through the air in Week 3.
Granted, Houston's secondary was down a few contributors in Shaquill Griffin and Tavierre Thomas, but linebacker Henry To'o To'o remained complimentary of Ridder's showing against the group.
“I think he just did a good job of finding open spots in our defense," To'o To'o said. "He was very aware of what we were running. He did a great job of getting the ball out.”
Texans defensive back Jimmie Ward, who sent a subtle jab Ridder's way during the week by declaring he doesn't think Atlanta wants to pass the ball, noted the Falcons were particularly productive with banana sevens and boot leg route concepts before giving credit to the offense's top two conductors.
“They are a run-first team, and we held them to under 100-rushing yards," Ward said. "We did what we needed to do, but they had a lot of good plays dialed up. The coach (Smith) did a nice job, and the quarterback (Ridder) did a nice job.”
At first thought, the hope is that Sunday's game is just the start for Ridder.
But upon consideration, the image grows that this is simply a continuation of what he's done behind the scenes and offers substance behind his teammates' unwavering support.
Is this the new expectation?
Hardly - but Ridder's shown what he's capable of, and if his efficiency, processing and accuracy remain as strong as they were Sunday, the upside of Atlanta's offense soars considerably higher.
There were no hot takes after the game from Smith or Ridder; that's not who either of them is. They're hard workers who want to let their performances on the field speak for them.
And so, when given a chance to reflect postgame, Smith was straightforward - Atlanta was encouraging, but there's still much more to fix in the coming months.
The Falcons have playoff aspirations. Their defense has shown to be good enough ... and for the first time this season, Ridder proved he can be the guy to take them back to the postseason for the first time in six years.
“We still feel like we have to come back, and we have to get better," Smith said. ”You don't want to be the same team in October going into December and January and keep playing. We have to continue to improve, but today was a good step in the right direction.”
