3 Things Falcons fans learned about Desmond Ridder in preseason win

1. Desmond Ridder showed surprising poise

For those that simply looked at the Atlanta box score or caught the highlights a key moment in Ridder’s debut was lost to them. Early on in Ridder’s debut the rookie quarterback was under immense pressure and threw an ugly interception.

Watching the tape back a dozen times it is still hard to find exactly what Ridder thought he saw when he made the decision to let the ball go. It was an obvious rookie mistake and an ugly moment that Ridder could have let shake him. Instead, a penalty on the Lions wiped the pick away and Ridder came back and led the drive as if it had never happened.

This is part of what separates the good from the great is their ability to completely forget a mistake and make a play on the next snap. While this is a preseason game against the Lions it is the highest level of competition that Ridder had ever faced and the way he handled the situation and bounced back is noteworthy.

Ridder wouldn’t turn the ball over the rest of the night and learned from his mistake of protecting the football and consistently putting it where only his receiver could make a play. A great adjustment that you rarely see from a rookie quarterback even if it is a preseason matchup against Detriot.