3 Reasons the Atlanta Falcons made the right decision starting Heinicke

1. Accountability

The Atlanta Falcons under Arthur Smith have preached that if you're not doing your job at a high level you will be replaced no matter your salary. That is unless your name is Jalen Mayfield, Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota, or Arthur Smith himself. Despite the issues with the statement, it is the right outlook for a Falcons team that needs a fresh start at the position.

Desmond Ridder lost the game for the Falcons on Sunday, and it isn't the first time this has happened. Yes, Arthur Smith and the defense both deserve a level of blame. However, you have your team set up for a very easy field goal or possibly more. Ridder was benched the first time for turning the ball over in scoring situations and that came back to bite the quarterback yet again.

There is simply no explanation for the decision that Ridder made that resulted in the game-losing interception. Desmond has no excuse or reasonable read to excuse the mistake. Atlanta was left with no choice but to bench their quarterback and attempt to send a message to the roster. It isn't as much about who they are starting as it is about benching Desmond after last Sunday's mistake.