3 Reasons for Atlanta Falcons fans to believe in Desmond Ridder this season

3. Atlanta's improved defense

Desmond Ridder does a lot of things at a high level but there isn't one trait as of yet we can point to as elite. In a league full of young stars at the position it is easy to judge the quarterback before he has had a chance to fit into this offense.

Part of the problem last season was Atlanta's scrappy defense that rarely could get the stop when they needed it most. This year's unit looks completely different with a rebuilt defensive line, pass rush, and secondary depth the team hasn't had in a number of years.

This is going to consistently take immense pressure off of Desmond and allow them to play Arthur Smith's game. With Tyler Allgeier, Bijan Robinson, and Cordarrelle Patterson when Atlanta doesn't play a good team (which isn't often on this schedule) Ridder is going to have to do very little to have a lot of success.

Atlanta's defense is good enough to consistently get the ball back and allow the Falcons to run the clock away with Ridder hitting Drake London or Kyle Pitts to keep the defense honest.