Falcons 'Optimistic' Injured QB Taylor Heinicke Will Play vs. Saints

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke and coach Arthur Smith are both confident the veteran signal caller will be healthy enough to start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

The Atlanta Falcons enter Week 18's road game against the New Orleans Saints in a must-win scenario to keep their NFC South title hopes alive.

And as they have several times this season, the Falcons have a question mark under center - but not due to performance.

Taylor Heinicke will make his third consecutive start at quarterback Sunday if healthy, but he's battling a left ankle injury that cost him the final two drives in last week's 37-17 road loss to the Chicago Bears and limited him in practice Wednesday.

Should Heinicke be unable to play, former starter Desmond Ridder will get the nod with Logan Woodside serving as his backup, keeping the structure Falcons coach Arthur Smith has implemented throughout the season.

So, where does Heinicke stand?

"It's progressing," Heinicke said Wednesday. "Feel pretty optimistic about it, so be able to just go through practice this week and see how it feels."

Smith reiterated similar confidence in the growth Heinicke's made throughout the week, comparing his status to how it was leading into the Bears game.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) passing against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

In Week 17, Heinicke was limited Wednesday and Thursday before being a full participant and off the injury report Friday. Atlanta's third-year coach is planning on repeating that recipe this week.

"I’m optimistic, but again, that’s why you have contingency plans," Smith said. "The way we’ll prepare, similar to how Taylor prepared last week. I know this: Des will always be ready to go. So will Logan. They’ve been that way all year, and that’s helped.

"Have a lot of faith in all of those guys."

Smith noted the unique relationship inside the quarterback room, dubbing it "rare" how the trio has handled the ups and downs and constant change.

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Ridder started the first eight games before Heinicke took over for the two thereafter. Upon returning from the bye week, Ridder started the next four games but was benched again for Heinicke in Week 16.

Heinicke led the Falcons to a 29-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in his first start back but struggled against Chicago, completing just 10 of 29 passes for one touchdown and three interceptions. His 34.5 percent completion rate was the worst by a Falcons starter since 2007.

The 30-year-old Heinicke said he started feeling his ankle soreness late in the third quarter, around the time of his touchdown run. He added the rush of adrenaline helped cover it up earlier in the game.

After the game, Heinicke declared the injured ankle didn't affect his play - but conceded Wednesday it had an impact in various ways.

"Physically, maybe there at the very end, obviously I've taken some pain stuff, and it was starting to wear off there at the end, but I think it was more mental than anything," Heinicke said. "I felt I couldn't really give a lot into my throws at some points, maybe that was just me overthinking it.

"But sure, I didn't really feel much until late in the game."

Now, the challenge becomes getting Heinicke as close to full health as possible - the Falcons, who sit at 7-9 entering the finale, still have playoff hopes.

With a win over the Saints (8-8) and a loss from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) to the Carolina Panthers (2-14), Atlanta takes the top spot in the NFC South and will host a postseason game as the No. 4 seed.

The Falcons don't control their own destiny but intend on doing their part Sunday, as a win would also secure a season sweep over New Orleans.

There's lots riding on Heinicke's health, as Smith still believes the veteran passer gives Atlanta its best chance to win.

What'll it take for Heinicke to play?

He said he wants to feel healthy and unhindered, as he did entering last week's loss to Chicago - but noted the difficulties of weighing his health vs. personal ambitions of playing in such a critical game.

"That's tough," Heinicke said. "Because you want to go out there and play with your guys. You've had all year to get to this point, you want to go out there and be able to hope to play but at the same time you want to take a step back and see, 'Hey am I the best option?'

"It's a hard game to play there, so again, we're going to practice this week, see how it feels and then ultimately we'll make a decision late in the week."

Heinicke has no prior experience of playing on turf with an ankle or foot injury like he will Sunday in Caesars Superdome, but he asserted it'll be better than playing in the snowy, 30-degree conditions presented in Chicago.

However, it's not his first time entering Week 18 on a losing team but still holding playoff aspirations, as he did so with the Washington Commanders in 2020.

The Commanders controlled their own destiny and won their way into the playoffs, and while it's a different scenario this time, the experience of avoiding scoreboard watching carries over.

But Heinicke hasn't relayed any advice to his teammates, instead stressing the need for Atlanta to focus on itself, because nothing matters with a loss.

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Now, Heinicke's left bearing the weight of his injury with his team's playoff livelihood. It's quite the burden, but one he accepts ... and entering Sunday's 1 p.m. EST kickoff, he remains steadfast on handling business.

"We feel like if we go out there and just do our jobs, what we can control, everything else will take care of itself in our favor," Heinicke said.