Falcon Report

Desmond Ridder Comeback Win: Falcons Look Into Franchise Future?

Desmond Ridder's game-winning drive might just be a glimpse into the Falcons future.

Cole Thompson

Quarterback Desmond Ridder delivered a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jared Bernhardt in the closing minutes of a preseason game. He looked comfortable in coach Arthur Smith’s offense in the first pro outing of his career as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

Both statements are true. Both can carry weight into the organization's future.  

The Falcons' 27-23 win over the Detroit Lions means little in the grand scheme. It won't improve the record for an organization that's teetering between rebuild and retool. It won't lead Atlanta from bottom-dwellers of the NFC to the top of the ranks and into the postseason. 

And it's not as if Ridder was facing the Lions' first-team defense during the two-minute drill. Nor was he working with Atlanta's starters. First-round receiver Drake London left in the first quarter with a knee injury. Tight end Kyle Pitts' night was over after the first quarter. 

The receiver on the end of the game-winning touchdown, Bernhardt, was a lacrosse star at Maryland before suiting up at Ferris State for a year. Even then, Bernhardt wasn't a receiver. He was the Bulldogs' starting quarterback.

“At that point, you have to give someone a chance,” Ridder said of the situation. “I saw it was a one-on-one matchup. I gave my guy Bernhardt a chance and he came down with it. It was huge play for us.”

For Ridder, it means something. Maybe it does for Smith as well. And a win is a win — one of who knows how many this season. 

"Desmond had a great game," quarterback Marcus Mariota said. "For a young guy, his first NFL shot, he made a bunch of plays. At the end of the game when you needed him most, he made a play.”

Ridder has the chance to be special in Atlanta. For the first time in 14 years, the Falcons are looking for a new top quarterback. Matt Ryan is now in Indianapolis. Mariota is reunited with his former Tennessee offensive coordinator Smith after a two-year stint in Las Vegas. 

But Ridder's youth makes him an enticing option. His game is modeled after Mariota and Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Smith knows how to work with that style of passer, having revitalized Tannehill's career on the way to an AFC Championship appearance in 2020.   

This isn't to say the third-round rookie is ready to start Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. He was a drafted No. 74 overall for a reason even after leading Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff last December. 

Ridder has always relied on his ability to keep drives alive in the worst of situations. Take for instance the closing minutes of the second quarter. 

Starting at the Falcons' 25, Ridder broke free for a 20-yard run. Two plays later, he scrambled and tacked on another 19, setting up a 47-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo to tie the game at 17. 

Not everything was perfect. Film will tell you what the stat line already says. Ridder completed 10 of 22 passes for 103 yards and tacked on an early 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Parker Hesse. 

Of the missed throws, how many were bad passes? Receiver Geronimo Allison dropped an easy catch on Ridder's first drive. Tight end Feleipe Franks dropped a throw down the sideline in the third quarter that would have gone for at least 20 yards. Ridder tried to go deep against to begin the fourth, but the ball bobbled in and out of the hands of tight end John Raine. 

So who do you blame; receiver or quarterback? A mix of both? 

“I was proud of Desmond,” Smith said. “He came in there and you want to see how these guys handle adversity. It wasn’t perfect. There’s a lot to learn from, but he kept swinging.”

Ridder missed a few Falcons downfield. He also finished with three throws of over 15 yards and tried to go deep. Oh, and he led Atlanta to its first win of the new campagin. 

That has to mean something, right? 

Mariota is the starter. His NFL experience and familiarity with Smith's offense keeps him ahead for now. Another week and another performance like this, however, could lead to that discussion. 

Perhaps Ridder's performance at Ford Field is a blip on the radar screen. It also could be so much more. Timing, poise and decision-making were all there for the rookie. Now comes the march toward consistency. 

The casual fan won't likely forever remember a preseason outing. Ridder will. He found a way to win an NFL game. 

And maybe, it's the start of something promising?

Published
Cole Thompson
COLE THOMPSON

Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson

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