Falcons' Desmond Ridder 'Reason for Optimism?'

Desmond Ridder is a big reason why the Atlanta Falcons have some hope going into the season.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 23, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

There's a lot of buzz surrounding the Atlanta Falcons coming into the season, especially considering the team has a realistic chance of ending a six-year postseason drought.

A lot of that potential comes on quarterback Desmond Ridder's shoulders. The second-year pro brings a lot of question marks coming into the season, but his growth from his play last year gives reason for optimism.

"Ridder showed promise while starting the final four games of the season, went 2-2 as the starter and posted a respectable 86.4 passer rating," Bleacher Report writes. "He'll now operate with an incredible supporting cast. His offensive options will include Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Tyler Allgeier, Jonnu Smith, Cordarrelle Patterson, Mack Hollins, Scott Miller and rookie do-it-all star Bijan Robinson."

Despite his numbers not particularly jumping out (708 passing yards, two touchdowns and a 2-2 record), Ridder did possess the league's 10th best PFF grade over the final two weeks.

At the end of the day, the NFL is a quarterback's league. Quarterbacks come in all shapes and sizes and there isn't a specific archetype that is needed to win in the league ... except for a good one.

Mistakes can be hidden easier at other positions, but if Ridder doesn't play well, the Falcons simply won't succeed.

However, Ridder's progression should give the team hope that he will only continue to grow.

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Published Jul 23, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.