Desmond Delivers: Falcons QB Ridder Clutch, Stars Late vs. Packers

In the span of some 20 minutes of game action, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder not only flipped the script on Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers but may have changed the trajectory of his entire career.

For a moment, the book on Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder appeared written.

It was early in the third quarter, and the Falcons, trailing the Green Bay Packers 10-9 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, were forced to punt after four straight incompletions by Ridder, one of which was wiped away by an offensive penalty.

The final play of that drive was a dropped interception by Packers linebacker Quay Walker, the game's second such instance. Ridder had already been intercepted once by cornerback Rasul Douglas and was fortunate to not have two more.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith cited this drive as an outlier when discussing the offense's overall day ... but at the time, it felt like a continuation of a rough six quarters for Ridder that may prompt Smith to find another option under center.

Over the next four drives, Ridder put all doubts to rest - and may have asserted himself as the long-term solution along the way.

Atlanta scored on each of those possessions, netting a touchdown and three field goals while overcoming a 24-12 deficit and walking away with an emphatic 25-24 victory.

Ridder finished the day 19-of-32 for 237 yards, one touchdown and his first career interception. It was the most passing yards the Falcons have had since Marcus Mariota threw for 253 against the Carolina Panthers on Halloween last year.

The performance netted a C-grade from Ridder himself, but Smith disagreed ... and highlighted a few big-picture attributes the second-year passer brings to the table.

"I thought it was a pretty efficient day," Smith said. "He's a winner. Guys believe in him - you can see it. In those critical situations, he's at his best, and that's been his history. These guys love him. He embodies what we're about."

All offseason, Ridder received praise from teammates for his leadership, poise and confidence - he proved why in the second half Sunday, blending the intangible traits with ball placement and decision making to turn in a fine performance.

The Packers, Smith said, have a strong defense, secondary and defensive coordinator in Joe Barry; this wasn't an easy task for Ridder, and the way the Falcons' offense started, it became clear he had his work cut out.

Ridder's interception came on his second throw of the game. Last week, he joined Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as the only the second passer since the AFL/NFL merger to not throw an interception in his first five starts.

Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark influenced Ridder's throw with a strong interior bull rush, making his pass to tight end Kyle Pitts float and leave his mark entirely.

It was a pretty significant gut check early - and according to rookie running back Bijan Robinson, Ridder passed the test in a big way, setting the stage for a statement-making second half.

"He balled out today," Robinson said. "After the interception, I look at demeanor of people, of players after stuff like that, and he went right to the sideline, and he looked at everyone and he was like 'bro, we're good.' He wasn't fazed at all. He kept his composure. The whole game, nothing ever rattled him."

Among the many things that gives the Falcons confidence in Ridder is his ability to execute in big moments. Smith preaches the "middle eight," which is the final four minutes of the first half and first four of the second half.

Even though Ridder came out of the half slow, he went in to it quite well, leading an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in just under three minutes, capping it off with a three-yard, side-armed pass to receiver Drake London in the endzone.

That throw to London was one of several impressive passes Ridder made on the day. In the third quarter, he rolled left and threw a well-placed touch pass to receiver Mack Hollins in the back of the endzone. It was initially called a touchdown but was ultimately overturned; nonetheless, the process behind the play turned heads.

There were two more passes to London that stood out, including a layered ball over the middle to convert a 3rd and 15 and an in-stride bullet for 24 yards on the first play of the game-winning drive, asserting the moment wasn't too big.

It's never been too big for Ridder, even dating back to his time in Cincinnati. The clutch gene is one of the most important traits for a quarterback to have, and the 24-year-old has shown time and again he has it.

"When those big-time situations come up, I've got to go make a play," Ridder said. "I've been in those situations before. It's not something you panic over, it's 'hey, this is the next play, go execute it.'"

Sunday also saw Ridder make plays with his legs, rushing for a career-high 39 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Smith noted this was an area where he and the coaching staff felt confident in working against the Packers' defense and know they can tap into it each week if needed.

Ridder added that his rushing threat forces defenders out of position and opens up both the running and passing game. Be it scrambling or operating both the read and run-pass option, there are several ways for Ridder to use his legs, and he wants to continue incorporating his athleticism into games as much as possible.

In addition to his 4.49 40-yard dash speed, Ridder has spatial awareness, Smith stated, and can extend plays as a scrambler. It's one of many traits Ridder has that Smith is fond of, and an underrated physical tool that isn't talked about enough.

But Atlanta firmly believes intangibles rule all - and Ridder, who Smith said doesn't make the same mistake twice, has proven from the moment he stepped foot in Flowery Branch last summer that he has them in spades.

"As a young quarterback, they always try to throw different looks at you, but he's able to process it," Smith said. "He's got belief. That's four straight wins as him as a starter. He keeps working to get better. That's what we love about him.

"So much of this game is not only evaluating the physical tools - what's between the ears and chest, I would argue, is a big part of it, too."

Desmond Ridder leads the Atlanta Falcons offense against the Green Bay Packers

As Smith mentioned, the Falcons have now won four straight games with Ridder under center; the final two games of last season and the first two this year, all coming at home. He's still undefeated at home as both a college and professional starter, holding a 30-0 record.

Ridder left Cincinnati as the third-winningest quarterback in college football history with 44. He helped take the Bearcats from an average program to the first Group of 5 team to make the College Football Playoff.

The track record of success and ability to star when the lights come on inspired confidence that Ridder could be the guy to help take the Falcons to the next level.

It's still early, and Ridder has plenty more to prove ... but right now, he's got Atlanta sitting with a 2-0 record for the first time since 2016.

Sure, Sunday wasn't always pretty - but when the Falcons needed plays, Ridder was there to make them. Even when he physically wasn't, his voice and presence still permeated ... and veteran left tackle Jake Matthews was filled with high marks for his young signal caller.

“I saw a leader who made some plays when opportunities came, and I thought he played great today," Matthews said. "The way he led the huddle and called the plays, you could tell we were confident and on the same page. I have high praises for him.”

Ridder noted his aim is to never get too high or low. The team's energy comes from the quarterback, and he tries to stay neutral and even keeled. He believes he did a good job of staying calm against Green Bay, though he wasn't overly pleased with his overall performance.

In his eyes, Ridder believes he missed quite a few throws and needs to be better with checks at the line of scrimmage and getting in and out of the huddle.

Avoiding complacency is the name of the game for Ridder; he grades himself after every game and has given out very few A's.

The last time he did so was early during his time at Cincinnati, and would require a near-perfect stat sheet, 100 percent hit rate on checks and audibles, having his team be fully healthy and, of course, winning.

Last week's showing earned a C+. This week's earned similar marks. Ridder knows he needs to be better - and even with a strong finish, is well aware there's more upside to come.

"That's not the best Atlanta Falcons offense you've seen right there," Ridder said. "We know that we can do way better than that. It's going to be up to us, come in tomorrow, watch film and get better for Detroit next week."

The Falcons will hit the road for the first time next Sunday against the Lions (1-1), seeking to carry over the momentum they've established - while Ridder will aim to get his first road victory, a reminder of just how young he still is.

There remains much for Ridder to prove; after all, for two and a half quarters, the story about him was trending in a much different direction.

But really, the same is true for the Falcons' entire roster, which is the fourth youngest in the league and surely still has doubters on the outside.

This year's Falcons are young but competitive, poised but aggressive. Best of all, they don't stop fighting - and when they get behind, there's a level of confidence that doesn't waver.

Remember Ridder pointing out that teams react to the quarterback's energy? It's real ... and the Falcons' ability to finish games is a direct indication of just how much this team believes in its second-year quarterback, both in the present and beyond.

"To see how much of a dog he is when it comes to those situations, I'm very confident in what we can do this season with him back there," Robinson said.

Ridder and the Falcons travel to visit the Detroit Lions next week. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.