Michael RothsteinESPN Editor2 minute read
FLOWERING BRANCH, Georgia — The Atlanta Falcons maybe start Taylor Heinicke against the Arizona Cardinals this week, but coach Arthur Smith made it clear he wasn’t interested in the quarterback decision that would become a weekly topic of conversation.
“We’re not going to play musical chairs,” Smith said Wednesday. “Hopefully we can get this win. Take a second to really evaluate as we make this sprint toward the end of the season. “That’s the best I can give you right now.”
Barring anything unforeseen, Smith said staff will weigh what they saw from Heinicke against what they saw. Desmond Ridder provided in the first eight weeks, then make a decision from there.
Ridder completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 1,701 yards, six touchdowns, six interceptions and six lost fumbles. The Falcons turned to Heinicke at halftime against Tennessee, with Ridder being evaluated for a possible concussion (he was ultimately cleared).
Atlanta then opted to start Heinicke last week against Minnesota — specifying that it was for “this week” at the time and that they would re-evaluate then. At the time, Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone both said there were “a lot of variables” going into the decision to start Heinicke.
Ridder, when he spoke, emphasized ball security — he had seven turnovers in two and a half games, including four in the red zone — and that he would use this time to address that problem. He did not indicate last week when – or if – he might get his starting job back.
Heinicke completed 55.9 percent of his passes over the final six quarters for 443 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. In the six quarters he played, Atlanta scored 48 points, including a season-high 28 against the Vikings last Sunday.
Smith said this year’s quarterback movement is different than last year, when the team went from Marcus Mariota to Ridder during the team’s December bye. Now, after Sunday’s game against Arizona, they will look at the quarterback position during the bye week for the second straight season.
“There are so many things that come into play,” Smith said. “It’s not all about the quarterback and sometimes it’s the matchups, it’s the way things go. But I think at the end of the day it’s all going to work out the way it’s supposed to.”
