Flick's Forum: 'Encouraging' Falcons QB Desmond Ridder Proves Poise, Promise

Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder keeps checking boxes that coach Arthur Smith has set out for him ... but has he done enough to earn the job in 2023?

When Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith stood in front of reporters two days after his team lost to the Baltimore Ravens and was officially eliminated from playoff contention, he listed several boxes that rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder needed to check before he could be dubbed the "quarterback of the future."

Among the things Smith named were situational football, "got to have it" situations and, most importantly, winning.

Fast forward some six days later and Smith was back at the podium, minutes after Atlanta's 20-19 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in which Ridder logged not only his first career win but also his first game-winning drive, including a critical 3rd and 7 conversion on a tight-window pass to tight end MyCole Pruitt just after the two-minute warning.

It was a throw that required the utmost confidence in his abilities and served as a quality illustration of the poise and ball placement that have impressed Smith thus far - and above all else, checked a huge box in the evaluation.

"If you want to be a big-time quarterback, you're going to need to win critical third downs and two-minute and go win the game like he did right there," Smith said.

Ridder, in his home debut, showed significant progress in several aspects, starting with the opening possession. In each of his first two starts, Ridder struggled finding a rhythm early but showed no such signs Sunday, leading a 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock.

The 23-year-old began six of seven for 28 yards while drawing a pair of encroachment penalties, displaying a level of command and comfortability that simply hadn't been present in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens.

Ridder's poise has been praised by several coaches, be it his own or opponents, such as Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. He continued to show why Sunday, following up a botched snap turnover with a 12-play drive that took Atlanta deep into Arizona territory, ultimately being stopped on 4th and 2 but quickly putting his first career turnover in the rearview mirror.

A third-round pick in April's draft, Ridder's second half only enforced the idea that he can rally the troops when things aren't going his way. Each of Atlanta's first three possessions out of halftime resulted in punts - but the last two finished with field goals, each giving the Falcons a lead in the fourth quarter.

By game's end, Ridder was 19 of 26 (73 percent) for 169 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and just one sack taken, adding nine yards on four scrambles and turning nothing into something on multiple occasions.

Smith touched postgame on Ridder's athleticism, not particularly straight-line speed but rather the ability to do some things in the quarterback run game and maneuver within the pocket. He's not the most explosive mover but is certainly functional ... and has the Smith check of approval.

"I thought his pocket awareness was really good," Smith said. "He extended some plays, got us out of some things and that's what you want to see - if you want to be a real starting quarterback in this league, you've got to do that."

As it relates to Ridder, Smith has made several "if-then" statements - be it situational football, play extension, making big throws in key moments or showing command at the line of scrimmage, and by all accounts, the former Cincinnati Bearcat has done his job in each area.

Ridder also continues to show week-over-week improvement, which was perhaps the biggest element of his evaluation, as Smith stressed that it wouldn't be a one-game assessment.

After the loss to Baltimore, Smith cited pocket management as the spot where Ridder made his biggest jump. Against Arizona, Atlanta's second-year coach used a direct example - the back-shoulder corner endzone pass to running back Cordarrelle Patterson that ultimately was ruled incomplete, though Patterson initially secured the catch and survived the ground before it was ripped away.

Regardless of the end result, Smith dubbed it a "better throw" than one Ridder made against the Ravens on a similar play, noting how signs like that are "encouraging."

What's also encouraging is the way Ridder settled in during the final drive. It wasn't uncharted territory for him, as he was on his way to leading a similar late-game series against the Saints in his debut before star rookie receiver Drake London on a fourth down conversion.

But nonetheless, this drive was arguably the most important Ridder's had as a professional, desperately needing a win and signature moment to stake his claim for the starting job next season.

And yet, the moment never looked too big for him. Smith often talks about learning how people are wired when they face adversity, and Ridder responded time and again against Arizona, be it after the fumble, slow start to the second half or on the end-of-game, "got to have it" possession.

Ridder never flinched - and he hasn't shown any signs of hesitation through three starts. He's proven his composure and leadership in each start ... and his approach upon getting the ball with less than five minutes to play only further cements that.

"My mindset going in was get the ball in the endzone, as is every drive," Ridder said. "It's just about maintaining the ball and then you start to get into the situational football of 'once we get the first down, do we get down, do we score, what do we do?' So just making sure everybody's on the same page there."

There was never a thought of personal implications or anything that would make the moment bigger than it was. When asked if he had any nerves, Ridder shook his head a number of times, reflecting the same assurance to reporters as he did to his teammates in the huddle.

Following Cardinals kicker Matt Prater's 57-yard field goal to take the lead late, Ridder was given a chance to make a rookie mistake or send the wrong impression to his teammates, but he never did - because he stayed true to the "calm, composed" individual he's proven to be each week.

"First of all, just the calmness," Ridder said, of his message in the huddle. "Not necessarily saying you've been in those moments before, but (if teammates) see that you're calm, composed and can execute things, that's going to filter off to the other guys and they're going to want to execute better. Sometimes, it's just being calm, being poised, and everyone else sees that and feels that."

Ridder orchestrated a balanced, high-level final drive, as Atlanta marched 72 yards on 12 plays, killing every last second of clock before kicker Younghoe Koo knocked in a 19-yard field goal.

It was the exact situation Smith said he wanted to see Ridder thrown into and perform well in - and the rookie signal caller starred with his execution and control, especially on the pass to Pruitt.

Rather than realizing that it was perhaps the biggest play on the biggest drive of the game, Ridder said it was simply "another 3rd and 7," with a play that they'd practiced several times and even ran earlier in the game. He had confidence in his practice habits, confidence in Pruitt and confidence in himself.

And as a result, confidence surrounding Ridder continues to grow ... and if he takes another step forward Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and keeps checking boxes, he might just play himself into the starting role in 2023.

But Ridder won't view it as a make-or-break affair; he's not one to make the moment too big, instead taking a play-by-play approach and adapting the mentality and poise of a seasoned veteran.

Through the highs and lows, the game-winning drive and first career turnover, Ridder remained calm and even-keel ... and is starting to build quite the resume as his four-game trial run nears its end.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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