'This is Desmond's Team': Arthur Smith, Taylor Heinicke Back Ridder as Atlanta Falcons' QB

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith and backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke supported Desmond Ridder as the team's starting signal caller after the former relieved the latter at halftime due to injury.

In the first half of Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans (3-4), the Atlanta Falcons (4-4) mustered only three points and 89 yards of offense. During the second half, Atlanta posted 20 points and gained 253 total yards.

The difference? Quarterback.

Desmond Ridder, as he has in each game this season, started for the Falcons. He completed eight of 12 passes for 71 yards while adding 23 yards on three rushing attempts but was sacked five times, including a sack-fumble that generated his league-high 12th giveaway this season.

At halftime, Ridder was placed into concussion protocol. He watched the second half from the sidelines with a ballcap on his head.

That opened the door for backup Taylor Heinicke, who went 12 of 21 for 175 yards and a touchdown while taking only one sack.

Across six drives under center, Heinicke led the Falcons to two field goals, a pair of touchdowns, one punt and a turnover on downs on the last possession, coming after receiver Van Jefferson dropped an uncontested pass that would've moved the chains on fourth down.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith clarified postgame the move to Heinicke was strictly sparked by Ridder's evaluation for the concussion, not his on-field play.

"We've got a lot of confidence in Des," Smith said. "We didn't take him out for performance issues. That's why Taylor's here, to be able to come in as a backup and give us a shot."

Ridder entered Sunday's game riding high, averaging 297.3 passing yards in the previous three contests, which was second-most in the NFL behind only Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes.

Smith shared after the game he wanted to be cautious and conservative with Ridder's health and that leaving Heinicke in was "the best thing right then" with how the half played out.

Ridder will be evaluated throughout the week, with Smith noting he's unsure whether he'll be fit to play next Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Nonetheless, Smith reindorsed Ridder as "our starter" postgame and expressed pleasure in his passing performance prior to the injury.

"He was throwing the ball pretty well," Smith said. "We've got a lot of confidence, that's why he's our starter. We've got a lot we've got to figure out."

Oct 29, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (2) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) during the first half at Nissan Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Heinicke, who started 24 games across the past two seasons with the Washington Commanders, is no stranger to being a part of quarterback controversy.

He's been in, and he's been out - and he expects to be watching from the sidelines next weekend while following Smith's lead and voicing his support for Ridder.

"Oh, no," said Heinicke, when asked if he thinks he did enough to start moving forward. "This is Desmond's team. He's played great throughout the year. Obviously a couple hiccups here and there, but he's progressing every week, he's working hard.

"Ultimately, that's Arthur's decision, but tomorrow, we're going to come in and proceed as usual."

The Falcons, like Heinicke, have experience with quarterback decisions, having benched Marcus Mariota for Ridder starting in Week 15 last year.

This time around, it's a "completely different scenario," Smith said. It's easy to see why, as Ridder was an inexperienced rookie learning under Mariota while Heinicke is a seasoned veteran who's proven he can keep teams afloat at the sport's highest level.

Smith gave no indication of wanting to take the keys out of Ridder's hands, but if the 24-year-old can't play against Minnesota, Atlanta's confident Heinicke can play well enough to win.

"Did his job," Smith said of Heinicke's relief outing. "That's why he's here. We've got a lot of faith in Taylor."

Looking forward, what will Heinicke's job entail?

For now, the Falcons appear committed to sticking with Ridder, who was in the midst of the best stretch of his career prior to Sunday ... but as Smith said, there remains lots to figure out - though Heinicke's ability to produce isn't one of them.