How Desmond Ridder Could Make Falcons 'Very Dangerous'

The Atlanta Falcons have playoff aspirations, which will depend largely on the play of quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Few things are more dangerous in the regular season with an unknown at quarterback.

The Atlanta Falcons find themselves in that situation with quarterback Desmond Ridder. While that danger could end up costing Atlanta, it could also pay off in a big way. 

Pro Football Focus broke down how Ridder can make Atlanta "very dangerous," noting his play in 2022 and his ability to create openings within the pocket. 

"As with most teams in the NFL, the quarterback play separates the effective offenses from the talented ones," PFF writes. "He's shown he can process at a high level, and he knows how to work within the pocket to give himself better throwing lanes. It all comes down to how consistently accurate he can be.

"An accurate Desmond Ridder makes the Falcons offense a very dangerous outfit."

If Ridder can consistently be accurate, he can elevate a solid supporting cast that consists of wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, rookie running back Bijan Robinson and second-year running back Tyler Algeier. 

The Falcons went 2-2 in Ridder's four starts in 2022. Ridder struggled in his first two starts, both of which Atlanta lost to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. PFF gave a 43.4 grade for those two games. 

Things turned around in his final two starts. PFF gave Ridder a grade of 76.7, good enough to be ranked 10th among quarterbacks in the two weeks. Atlanta won against the Arizona Cardinals and its division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

It's too early to tell if Ridder will pan out, but if his progression in the final two weeks of the 2022 season is any indication, the Falcons will be dangerous and may be poised to make some noise in the NFC. 

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