Falcons head coach Arthur Smith spoke to the media on Wednesday for the first time since benching quarterback Desmond Ridder for Taylor Heinicke. According to Smith, Heinicke will take over for the final three games of the season because he gives the team the best chance to win.
“We feel right now, where we’re at, that Taylor gives us the best chance,” Smith said, per team reporter Tori McElhaney.
Arthur Smith said the plan was for the Falcons to finish out the season with Desmond Ridder, BUT:
"We feel right now, where we're at, that Taylor (Heinicke) gives us the best chance."
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) December 20, 2023
Smith would go on to say that benching Ridder shouldn’t be taken as a sign that his journey was over, but that the quarterback is a “premium” position and must take care of the football. Ridder’s turnovers have been a consistent issue for the Falcons. The second-year QB has tossed 10 interceptions and lost six fumbles this season.
In Week 15, Ridder threw a red-zone interception that essentially gave the game away in the fourth quarter. With the season on the line against the worst team in football, Ridder made his most costly mistake yet.
Arthur Smith said this isn't the end of the journey for Desmond Ridder, but said (while he wouldn't point fingers in the blame game) that you have to take care of the ball and limit risk at a "premium" position like QB.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) December 20, 2023
Heinicke has appeared in three games this season (two starts), passing for 493 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The veteran QB hurt his hamstring against the Cardinals and never got his job back. We’ll see how Heinicke fares this weekend against a pretty tough Colts team.
