Just a week ago, things were looking at least somewhat promising for the Atlanta Falcons.
They had just defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 16-13, to take over first place in the NFC South, even though rookie stud running back Bijan Robinson barely played due to an illness.
But last weekend, Atlanta lost to the Tennessee Titans, and they now have a 4-4 record.
Starting quarterback Desmond Ridder was benched at halftime of the contest after the team fell behind 14-3, and while he may not play again this season, he vowed to not change anything as a result, per Scott Bair.
Desmond Ridder:
“Nothing’s changed (in terms of preparation). I’m still going to be the best version of myself, the best teammate I can be. I never want to be a negative person, a negative guy. I’m going to go do whatever it takes to help my team and help us go win.”— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) November 2, 2023
In the first half of that contest, Ridder was sacked a whopping five times and had a fumble, and the Falcons punted the football five times.
Taylor Heinicke replaced Ridder, and he completed 12 of 21 passes, one of which resulted in a touchdown for wide receiver Scotty Miller, and he was able to make the final score more respectable at 28-23.
The Falcons don’t have a ton of talent at this time, but Robinson clearly has star potential, as he has run for 466 yards in eight games, while second-year wideout Drake London is at 438 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Atlanta has two winnable games coming up — this Sunday versus the Minnesota Vikings, who just lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles and have a banged-up Justin Jefferson, and next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
That means they could head into their bye in Week 11 with a winning record once again before hosting the New Orleans Saints the following weekend.
The post Desmond Ridder Breaks Silence On Falcons Benching Him appeared first on The Cold Wire.