Falcons Training Camp: Desmond Ridder Impresses, Bijan Robinson Bounces Back

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had one of his best days at training camp on Wednesday.

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Just one day after being declared the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback of the future by owner Arthur Blank, Desmond Ridder put together a convincing showing during Wednesday's training camp practice at IBM Performance Center.

Apart from posting a turnover-free day, Ridder made a number of impressive throws and pushed the ball into the intermediate portion of the field more than he has in the previous two padded practices.

CLICK HERE to see Atlanta's post-practice injury recap.

The 23-year-old Ridder was particularly strong in red zone one-on-ones, tossing a touchdown into the corner of the endzone in which the pass fell right into the breadbasket of a tightly-covered J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.

I think this might be Ridder’s best throw of camp. Beautiful ball to JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who was well-covered by Tre Flowers. pic.twitter.com/j401o3PQ0R

— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) August 2, 2023

Ridder and Arcega-Whiteside connected again during the team portion, picking up a nice gain of around 15 to 20 yards over the middle on a small-window pass layered over the defense's second level.

Another notable throw from Ridder came to undrafted receiver Keilahn Harris, where the second-year signal caller again located a pass right over the shoulder of his wideout for a score.

Desmond Ridder with a dime over the shoulder of Keilahn Harris. Solid coverage from Breon Borders but a better throw and catch from Ridder and Harris. pic.twitter.com/qriab8FHhu

— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) August 2, 2023

The highlight play for Atlanta's offense came during one-on-ones, when Ridder hit receiver Frank Darby for a jumping, juggling touchdown in the red zone; it was a stellar finish from Darby and a solid throw from Ridder in which he gave his wideout a chance.

Frank Darby with perhaps the catch of camp thus far, finishing through contact against Cornell Armstrong for a touchdown. Throw from Ridder. pic.twitter.com/yxXWiI1PYu

— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) August 2, 2023

During the team portion, Ridder continued his week-long trend of being relatively passive, opting instead for underneath targets.

The same can't be said for backup Taylor Heinicke, who took three deep shots on the day, completing one - his final attempt - for a 50-yard touchdown to Darby.

The first try was well-placed to Drake London down the sideline, but London couldn't survive the ground after getting only one hand on it. Heinicke's second shot wasn't as impressive, as he threw into double coverage and was almost intercepted by cornerback Darren Hall.

Heinicke had an overall solid day, his third in a row, and continues to inspire confidence that he can help the Falcons win games if needed.

Stretching beyond quarterback play, rookie running back Bijan Robinson had a good showing; he beat cornerback Mike Hughes in the slot, proving he's capable of winning matchups against all types of defenders, and had a few solid runs, as well.

"I thought it was a good bounce back day for Bijan," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said, citing Robinson's difficult Tuesday in which he fumbled twice and didn't make much of an impact elsewhere.

But Robinson was largely Atlanta's best ballcarrier on Wednesday, as Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson had a quiet session. Undrafted rookie Carlos Washington continued to impress and has shown the ability to play at multiple spots offensively, while new signee Godwin Igwebuike sprung multiple carries.

On the topic of playing multiple spots, tight end Kyle Pitts was used all over the field, most notably as the "X" receiver on the outside; during a slant from that position, Pitts made cornerback Natrone Brooks fall at the route stem.

Now three padded practices in, Pitts continues to look like himself, and should only keep ascending as he gets more comfortable with his knee. Also of note with Pitts is that he's moved beyond a brace and now only has a sleeve.

Another tight end who had a solid practice is second-year pro John FitzPatrick, who's stood out a number of times this week with his ability to generate separation. It's important to remember that FitzPatrick is better known as a blocker than pass catcher, but he's impressed with the latter at various points in camp.

The Falcons' offensive line had a solid day, although it wasn't all pretty. Right tackle Kaleb McGary's practice may sum it up best, as he had a dominating one-on-one rep against Joe Gaziano but allowed a pressure from Bud Dupree on Ridder during the team portion.

It was a similar story for rookie left guard Matthew Bergeron, who lost a rep in one-on-ones to David Onyemata but was a consistently productive run blocker throughout the team segment.

All things told, Atlanta's offense had a solid day. The passing game was as good as it's been this week, and the rushing attack had more big plays than previous sessions.

Some other less talked about standouts from the first three days in pads include Washington, Darby, receiver KhaDarel Hodge and center Jovaughn Gwyn.

Of note, fullback Keith Smith wasn't spotted on Wednesday, nor were tight end Jonnu Smith and center Matt Hennessy. The former presumably had a veteran rest day while the latter two will be back sooner rather than later - Arthur Smith didn't sound particularly concerned about the situation.

Offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge was carted off the field with a leg injury and Smith didn't have any hard updates on his status, although he did note that on-field ligament checks came back clean.

The Falcons will get their Thursday off, their first such day since pads came on Monday, and will return to the practice field Friday with sights set towards the preseason opener on the road against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 11.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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