Falcons QB Desmond Ridder Praises Panthers 'Heart and Soul' Shaq Thompson
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder will make just his fifth NFL start on Sunday when they take on the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It will be the first time Ridder faces the Panthers in his career, but he's got his eye on a player who's very familiar to the NFC South rivalry.
“Yeah, obviously, Shaq [Thompson] is kind of the heart and soul of that defense; everything kind of runs through him," Ridder said. "He’s a guy who’s been in the league a little while and has seen a lot of ball. Very instinctive."
Thompson is coming off a 12.5-sack season and has had at least 7.5 sacks in every season of his career. He's also a player who has caught coach Arthur Smith's attention.
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"They still, in my opinion, have one of the better inside backers in the league in Shaq Thompson," Smith said. "So it’s the division. With him and Demario [Davis], both of them are very good inside linebackers. Smart players, tough, set the tone."
Ridder isn't just zoned in on Thompson. He's got his eye on several Panthers defenders who will try knocking him off his game on Sunday.
"There’s a couple of key guys that we have to be sure to take care of, both out front and on the outsides," Ridder said. "But like I said, it’s a team that’s going to come in here and play hard until the whistle blows, and we just have to be ready for that and give it back to them.”
Ridder and the Falcons face the Panthers on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
