3 Reasons Atlanta Falcons finally benched Desmond Ridder in heartbreaking loss

3. Ridder regressed reading the field yet again

There are two versions of Desmond Ridder the first is the quarterback we saw in the Houston game and watching in flashes against Washington, Green Bay, and Tampa Bay. That player is far more talented and unquestionably has a higher upside than Heinicke who is limited in comparison.

However, the problem for Atlanta is the second version of Ridder shows up far too often. This version loves to gift-wrap the ball to the wrong team staring his receivers down and second-guessing himself until the defense ends the play. It results in an ugly brand of offense and a high level of frustration for Atlanta Falcons fans.

If you move forward with Taylor Heinicke it is because you believe you can win games with the safer and more consistent option. Ridder is the more talented player but Heinicke has shown he can play at a far more consistent level.

Arthur Smith can pretend this is a tough decision but after what Falcons fans watched on Sunday it shouldn't be. Taylor Heinicke should be this team's starter moving into what is now a must-win game. This doesn't mean you don't go back to Ridder but at least see if Heinicke can maintain what we watched on Sunday.