Falcons Coach Reveals QB Desmond Ridder's Biggest Area of Growth
It's been nearly three months since Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder has seen the field in live game action.
That game - a 28-12 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 27 in the preseason finale - capped off an encouraging three-game stretch in which Ridder went 34 of 56 for 431 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
While it was, indeed, just in an exhibition setting, the third-round pick out of Cincinnati made a considerable impression and, more importantly, left many on the outside wanting more.
But now, 11 games into the regular season, Ridder's yet to take a competitive snap under center, and the Falcons have backed veteran Marcus Mariota as their starter multiple times.
Questions began to arise about the rate of Ridder's development; after all, while his preseason showed several positives, there were certainly things he needed to improve on. However, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport put any concerns to rest, stating that the Falcons "love" the progress they've seen from Ridder.
Still, with nobody outside of the organization seeing Ridder on a consistent basis, there depth of the report was a bit shallow - what, exactly, had the 23-year-old improved on? Where were his biggest areas of growth?
Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London provided the answer.
"I just see growth with him, whether it's conceptually, whether it's formations, (or) whether it's blitz pickups," London said. "Whatever it may be, I just see the growth in the work that he puts in each week about trying to get better as a professional quarterback.
"Obviously, there's things we ask him to do that he wasn't asked to do in college, and I think he's taken the growth there, taken the steps there and he continues to develop each day and put in the work. We'll continue to work with him and see where it goes from there."
London added that Ridder's done a good job of helping Mariota in any way he can, operating the backup duties at the level he should be. Further, Ridder is running scout team offense, representing looks for Atlanta's first-team defense in practice each week, meaning he's executing the Falcons' plays as much as he is that week's opponents.
Thus, it appears that Ridder has embraced the backup role - but throughout his rookie season, he's taken strides in several categories as he continues to understand the demands of being a professional.
Many are eager to see what Ridder can do as the starter, but in the meantime, he's doing his current job at a satisfactory level and bettering his individual skill set ... which will only help his career - and the Falcons - in the long run.
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