Atlanta Falcons: Ridder struggling won’t change outlook on Mariota

Desmond Ridder’s Atlanta Falcons debut hardly went according to plan with the rookie quarterback starting 0/4 and never finding a rhythm. Ridder did show an impressive chemistry with rookie receiver Drake London including a clutch throw that should have set up the tying score.

However, the overall performance was below average and left little strong feeling as to what exactly the Falcons have in Ridder. The playcalling was an issue and the lack of having Mariota’s read options slowed the offense down early.

This could leave a portion of Atlanta’s fanbase wondering if the Falcons made a mistake pivoting from the veteran quarterback? While one game is far too little to jump to any conclusions on Ridder it is important to remember this was the right move for Atlanta no matter at what level Ridder plays.

Mariota isn’t the future of this team as a very limited passer and a quarterback who is unable to win or play with any level of consistency. For the future of the franchise, the right move is to see what the Falcons have in Desmond Ridder even if that means they begin looking for quarterback options in the draft or free agency this off-season.

Benching Marcus Mariota doesn’t mean that Desmond Ridder is definitely the better option. Though with Mariota’s limited ceiling as a passer it is hard to imagine that won’t prove to be the case.

Whether or not he is the superior quarterback the decision is rooted in the fact the Atlanta Falcons front office and the coaching staff knows that this isn’t a playoff team or one capable of doing anything but embarrassing themselves if they managed to win a terrible division.

Putting Desmond Ridder in as the starter with enough time for the rookie to indicate whether or not he is the future of the position for Atlanta was the right move and one that should have been made weeks ago.