Falcons QB carousel: Taylor Heinicke to start in Week 16 vs. Colts, replacing Desmond Ridder, per report

The Atlanta Falcons have had a roller-coaster season, and nowhere has that been more true than the handling of the team’s quarterback situation. 

Heading into a crucial stretch run, head coach Arthur Smith on Monday declined to commit to which player the team will use under center for its Week 16 game against the Indianapolis Colts or the rest of the season, according to the team’s official website. According to The Athletic, however, the team will start Taylor Heinicke over Desmond Ridder, making a change from one to the other for the third time this season. 

This offseason, the Falcons declined to look into players like Lamar Jackson (who was a free-agent on the franchise tag), instead insisting that 2022 third-round pick Ridder was their guy. During the early portion of the season, Ridder struggled, completing 65.4% of his passes at an average of 7.1 yards per attempt, with just 6 touchdowns against 6 interceptions through the first eight games of the year. The Falcons ended that stretch with a 4-4 record, and Ridder was benched for the second half of the last of those games.

Smith strangely insisted that Ridder was not benched for performance issues, yet stuck with Heinicke as the starter for each of the team’s next two contests. During his three appearances, Heinicke went 41 of 74 for 498 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, and he was benched in favor of Ridder after going just 8 of 15 for 55 yards and a score against the Cardinals.

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/falcons-qb-carousel-taylor-heinicke-to-start-in-week-16-vs-colts-replacing-desmond-ridder-per-report/

Author : Jared Dubin

Publish date : 2023-12-19 13:24:28

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