Tag: Desmond Ridder

10 takeaways from Falcons’ Week 12 win over the Saints

10 takeaways from the Falcons’ 24-15 victory over the New Orleans Saints

The Atlanta Falcons won their first game in over a month on Sunday, a 24-15 victory over the New Orleans Saints to move to 5-6 on the season. Both teams turned the ball over multiple times but the Falcons made more plays in the fourth quarter.

Offensively, Atlanta leaned heavily on the ground game, while the defense let safety Jessie Bates III do the heavy lifting. Here are 10 takeaways from the Falcons’ Week 12 win over the Saints.

Falcons Twitter reacts to 24-15 win over the Saints

Falcons Twitter reacts to Sunday’s 24-15 win over the Saints in Atlanta

The Atlanta Falcons ended a three-game skid against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to take first place in the NFC South. Despite some ugly moments on offense, Jessie Bates and the defense came up with a performance that potentially saved head coach Arthur Smith’s job.

Quarterback Desmond Ridder rebounded from two early interceptions to make arguably the best throw of his career in the fourth quarter. Here’s how Falcons fans on Twitter reacted to Sunday’s 24-15 win over the Saints.

WATCH: Tyrann Mathieu reads ball perfectly for his 2nd INT against Falcons

WATCH: Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu reads ball perfectly for his second interception against Falcons

There was a vintage Tyrann Mathieu performance on Sunday as he battled to keep the New Orleans Saints in an important game against the Atlanta Falcons.

With the offense struggling to find points and keep players on the field, the Saints would need a big day from the defense to keep the team in the game. Mathieu answered the call his second interception on the day. Mathieu is now up to three interceptions this season and six total as a member of the Saints.

It was Mathieu’s first two-interception performance since Week 2 of the 2021 season as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Mathieu has now had four games with two interceptions, up to 32 total picks for his career.

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Falcons Week 12 starting lineups with PFF grades

Falcons starting lineups for Week 12 with PFF season grades for each player

At 4-6, the Atlanta Falcons are at a critical point in their 2023 campaign. Despite losing three straight games, the team is still very much alive in the division. In Week 12, the Falcons host the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints.

Here’s a look at the Falcons’ starting lineups for Sunday’s game with Pro Football Focus season grades for each player.

Saints understand the challenge of defending Desmond Ridder’s mobility

The Saints defense has struggled limiting quarterback runs. Can they break that trend against Desmond Ridder?

The New Orleans Saints have had struggles defending quarterbacks from scrambling this year. Dennis Allen identified Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback, as a threat with his legs multiple times in his Monday press conference. New Orleans isn’t ignorant of their struggles, Allen pointed that out those too.

Last game, New Orleans used a spy against Joshua Dobbs occasionally in case he took off to run, which was more effective in the second half (allowing 4 rushing yards) than in the first half (40). One would expect there to be a similar plan in place for Ridder. The only question is will it work.

Ridder hasn’t been overly effective with his legs this year, but neither had Trevor Lawerence or Tyson Bagent prior to facing the Saints. Both players had their most rushing yards of the season against New Orleans. Ridder rushed for a season-high 39 yards versus the Green Bay Packers. If Dennis Allen’s comments are any indication, the Saints should have a good plan prepared for Ridder’s legs.

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Falcons release depth chart for Week 12 game vs. Saints

The Falcons have released a new depth chart for their Week 12 matchup against the Saints

After using the bye week to evaluate the team, Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith named Desmond Ridder the starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2023 season.

Ridder and the Falcons will look to end their three-game losing streak on Sunday when they host the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Check out the team’s updated depth chart for Week 12 below.

Falcons QB Desmond Ridder discusses being named starter

“There’s a lot of things that I could have went back and done better,” Falcons QB Desmond Ridder on getting his job back.

The most important part of being an NFL quarterback is managing the inevitable ups and downs that come with playing the position. Every quarterback makes mistakes, but the good ones don’t get discouraged by them.

Staying cool in the face of adversity sets a tone that permeates throughout the rest of the team. That’s what Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is trying to do after being named the starter for the rest of the season.

Ridder was benched during Week 8, but after losing two straight games with Taylor Heinicke under center, head coach Arthur Smith made the switch back to Ridder for Week 12.

Talking with reporters on Monday, Ridder discussed how stepping back allowed him to reflect on his play and mentally prepare for his next opportunity.

“Looking at myself, you know there’s a lot of things that I could have went back and done better,” said Ridder. “Obviously, you know, I could have protected the ball but there’s a lot of situations that could have led you to not get in those situations. Whether it’s footwork, whether it’s your reads, whether it’s your progressions, it doesn’t matter.”

Watch Ridder’s full interview, as shared by ABC-TV sports director Zach Klein below. 

Ridder’s chance at redemption just happens to come against the rival New Orleans Saints in Week 12. The winner of this Sunday’s game in Atlanta will lead the NFC South.

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Derek Carr still in concussion protocol after bye week, says Dennis Allen

Derek Carr is still in concussion protocol after the bye week, says New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen:

Here’s something to monitor: New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is still in concussion protocol coming out of the bye week, head coach Dennis Allen said Monday, Nov. 20. It remains to be seen whether Carr will clear protocol in time to suit up for their upcoming game with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 26.

But it’s not too unusual for Carr to start the week of game prep while in the concussion protocol. Most players need a week or two to recover after these brain injuries. The Saints won’t practice as a team until Wednesday and he has time to heal up and receive the green light to play by Sunday’s game. At the same time, it’s possible he’ll have to miss more time. The player’s health takes priority here.

If Carr can’t go, Jameis Winston would likely get the starting nod with Taysom Hill and Jake Haener backing him up. Atlanta has already named Desmond Ridder their starting quarterback after benching him in favor of Taylor Heinicke for a few weeks. Stay tuned for updates on Carr’s status throughout the week.

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Falcons head coach Arthur Smith names Desmond Ridder starting QB

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith officially named Desmond Ridder the starting QB going into Week 12

The Atlanta Falcons are officially rolling with Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback in Week 12, head coach Arthur Smith told reporters on Monday afternoon.

According to Smith, the team used the bye week to evaluate the quarterback situation and landed on Ridder. Watch Smith’s explanation below, as shared by the team’s Twitter account.

Ridder has started eight games this season, passing for 1,740 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions while going 4-4. Heinicke has passed for 498 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while going 0-2.

Ridder replaced an injured Heinicke in the fourth quarter of last weekend’s game against Arizona, completing four or six passes for 39 yards and rushing for the go-ahead score.

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