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Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that he is planning to start veteran quarterback Taylor Heinicke over second-year man Desmond Ridder against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Per Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney, Smith called it a short-term decision and noted that while Ridder will be the backup in Week 9, he is “cleared and will be available.”
Ridder exited the Falcons’ 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 8 to get evaluated for a concussion. While Ridder was cleared and could have returned, Smith took a cautious approach and kept Heinicke in the game.
The 30-year-old Heinicke played well in relief of Ridder last weekend, going 12-of-21 for 175 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, and nearly leading the Falcons to a come-from-behind win.
Before leaving the game, Ridder was 8-of-12 for 71 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and he was absorbing a beating, getting sacked five times.
Atlanta selected Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Cincinnati, and after he acquitted himself well down the stretch as a rookie, going 2-2 as the starter, Ridder was awarded the starting job entering the 2023 season.
Ridder has had an up-and-down year thus far, completing 65.4 percent of his passes for 1,701 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions, while also rushing for 139 yards and three scores.
Although the Falcons are just 4-4, they are tied for the NFC South lead, so they can ill afford to let any winnable games slip through their grasp.
There is no question that Atlanta should win Sunday against the Vikings since it is a home game and Minnesota is likely to start rookie fifth-round pick Jaren Hall at quarterback after Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles last week.
In Heinicke, the Falcons have a steady and reliable veteran with extensive starting experience that they can lean on.
The sixth-year player has 25 career starts to his credit between the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders, posting a 12-12-1 record.
Twenty-four of Heinicke’s starts came with the Commanders in 2021 and 2022, including 15 of them in 2021 when he went 7-8 and completed 65.0 percent of his passing attempts for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Last season, Heinicke went 5-3-1 and completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,859 yards with 12 touchdowns and six picks.
Heinicke also has a playoff start to his credit, as he stepped in during the 2020 postseason when Washington was dealing with injuries at the quarterback position.
He went 26-of-44 for 306 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and also rushed for 46 yards and a score. Thanks to his effort, the Commanders only lost to Tom Brady and the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a 31-23 score.
While Smith left the door open to go back to Ridder as the starter after Sunday’s game, Heinicke seemingly has an opportunity to seize the spot moving forward with a strong showing and a win over the Vikings.
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