Atlanta Falcons To Start Desmond Ridder Following Bye Week

The rookie has waited this whole season for his first crack at real NFL action.

CINCINNATI — The comical charade in Atlanta is finally over.

According to Ian Rapoport, Desmond Ridder is starting for the 5-8 Falcons in Week 15 against the Saints following their bye week.

The greatest QB in UC history will get his shot on a Falcons team that's lost four of its past five games while eclipsing 20 points once. 

Marcus Mariota had been solid as a dual-threat QB over the first month of the season. Yet, his true colors started to ooze through the more film teams got on him in the Falcons' run-heavy system. 

He is ranked 24th in completion percentage over expectation and limited the Falcons' passing game due to his 20.5% off-target rate (tied for third-worst this season). The former Heisman Trophy winner, completed over 60% of his passes just once over the past five games.

Now, Ridder gets his chance to add more wrinkles to that attack and show why he deserves to be an NFL starter. He won 44 games at Cincinnati, the third-most in college football history, and never lost at home.

"Every job is open," Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said after the 19-16 loss to Pittsburgh. Ridder gets the next crack at that opening.

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