'New Opportunity': How Ready is Falcons Rookie QB Desmond Ridder?

Despite picking up the preseason win, there's still much for Atlanta rookie Desmond Ridder to learn.

Desmond Ridder might be the future franchise quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, the long-term heir to Matt Ryan, helping a franchise still recuperating from "28-3'' jokes and countless playoff heartbreaks.

He could one day. That day won’t be Sept. 11 when the Falcons face the New Orleans Saints for Week 1. 

Despite leading Atlanta to a 28-12 preseason victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, there’s plenty for Ridder to learn before taking over as QB1.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith elected to sit starter Marcus Mariota on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ridder’s first play was about as rocky as it could be. Throwing into traffic, the third-rounder was intercepted by Jags safety Daneil Thomas.

"Obviously [an interception] off the [bat] wasn't the hottest start, but I felt like it went well," Ridder said of his day. "Our goal was to go out there and execute, dominate the line of scrimmage, and just keep the ball moving. It's a lot of little issues here and there when it comes to getting the plays going and everything, but we'll clean that up."

Smith has preached all offseason that it’s not about how one starts, but rather how one responds. In a sense, Ridder answered the call admirably, but was still guilty of minor mistakes in the process.

On the team’s next possession, Ridder led a 15-play, 75-yard drive capped off with a 2-yard touchdown reception from running back Ty Allgeier.

Smith praised Ridder’s maturity for keeping the drive alive on crucial downs. Prior to the Allgeier score, Ridder connected on three consecutive third-down conversions, keeping the clock rolling.

"It's just really keeping the ball moving forward, any way possible to do that," Ridder said. "We train to have those long drives and we train to grind on the other team more than we're tired, and that's what we did."

Atlanta tried to enter halftime with a two score lead, but a poorly-timed throw ended up leading to a second turnover. In the closing seconds, Ridder elected to float the ball out of bounds, but Jaguars safety Xaiver Crawford was in the right place to seal the pick.

Ridder knows that mental mistakes can be learning opportunities. It's something he'll look at one tape prior to his next appearance. 

"As a quarterback, you have to play the next play no matter what happens on the last one," Ridder said. "No matter what happened on the last one, or the drop before, go out there and play the next play and it's a new opportunity to be made."

Ridder finished 14 of 21 passing for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. 

Smith said that he wanted to open the playbook more and give his quarterback a chance to test his arm.

Challenge accepted, challenge complete. Ridder connected with four different receivers on throws over 20 yards downfield, including a 35-yard pass to Frank Darby in the third quarter that would set up a 4-yard touchdown run from Allgeier.

“Desmond is a real football player,” Smith said. “You have to come out and keep swinging, keep things in perspective.”

Atlanta is still in its early stages of rebuilding. Ridder’s youth and untapped potential might be an upgrade over Mariota past the 2022 season, but the Falcons need consistency to start the year off right. 

In Mariota’s two games, he finished 8 of 12 passing for 168 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 15.7 yards per play while completing 67 percent of throws with a 128.2 passer rating.

Simple mechanics. Moving the chains. A bit of experience. All are areas Ridder still needs to improve on before taking over as the Falcons' starter. 

And it’s a challenge he looks forward to accomplishing before the season’s end.

Said Ridder: “It's been fun for me, so I'm excited to continue this journey and keep continuing to learn."