Atlanta Falcons QB Desmond Ridder On Hot Seat (Again) Following Washington Commanders Loss?

Desmond Ridder's three interceptions did the Atlanta Falcons no favors as they fell to the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon.

It's sort of like the song "Not Meant to Be" by Theory of a Deadman. Desmond Ridder has taken "one step forward and two steps back" in his quarterback progression.

After having a career day last week in a win over the Houston Texans, Ridder seemed to regress on Sunday, throwing three interceptions in a 24-16 loss to the Washington Commanders. One of Ridder's interceptions came in the midst of a fourth quarter comeback attempt, helping salt away any chances the Atlanta Falcons had of winning the game.

It's fair to ask if he's the answer at quarterback in Atlanta, but it seems like we were just on this talking point, right?

Ridder's slow start to the season had many speculating whether or not he should be the guy moving forward for the Falcons or if they should turn the page to backup quarterback and veteran Taylor Heinicke. Sunday's performance against Washington did nothing to silence the critics that seemed to take a week off after last week's performance.

Oct 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) scrambles past Washington Commanders defensive end James Smith-Williams (96) in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Now, even Arthur Smith seems to be in disbelief after Ridder's performance on Sunday. His expressions on the sideline seemed to indicate as much, that is.

Arthur Smith after Benjamin St-Juste’s pick in the end zone. pic.twitter.com/Qb8Dj5c5p0

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 15, 2023

It didn't help Atlanta that Washington's vaunted front seven held the Falcons to just 106 rushing yards as a team on Sunday. That makes life difficult on a quarterback, but one of the hallmarks of a strong NFL signal caller is the ability to put a team on his back on those days. 

As of now, it doesn't appear that Ridder has that capability. It may not be time to bench him just yet, but Sunday was a reversion to a concerning trend at quarterback, if you're a Falcons fan.