January 22, 2025
ATLANTA (AP) — Arthur Smith saw a glimpse of the Atlanta Falcons' future, with an offense featuring rookies Desmond Ridder, Tyler Allgeier and Drake London.
That vision gave Smith, the Falcons' second-year coach, confidence that this year's 7-10 finish provides far more hope than his debut season, when Atlanta finished with the same record.
“It's a much different year,” Smith said after Sunday's 30-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Strong play by the offensive line and the production of the 2022 draft class, especially the playmakers on offense, make Smith confident the Falcons have a foundation in place to end a streak of five consecutive losing seasons.
Ridder started the final four games after Marcus Mariota lost his starting job and then opted for season-ending knee surgery. The Falcons were 2-2 with Ridder, closing the season with back-to-back wins.
Ridder threw his first two touchdown passes against Tampa Bay. Smith said he was “pretty pleased” with Ridder's performance but was not yet ready to label the rookie the 2023 starter.
“We’ve got a long way to go before we make any decisions in the offseason, but there’s a lot you can learn from this,” Smith said.
The team must decide whether Ridder, a third-round pick out of Cincinnati, has shown he can be the new face of the franchise.
Ridder's unforced lost fumble was a low point against the Buccaneers, but he didn't throw an interception during his four-game audition.
“I’d argue as the games went on, he got better,” Smith said. “Very encouraged by watching him in pressure moments.”
Ridder completed 19 of 30 passes for 224 yards, his top passing performance of the season.
Asked if he believes he deserves the starting job next season, Ridder said, “That's not my call.”
“I’m going to go out there and play my game and do what I do,” Ridder said. “At the end of the day, I don’t care about stats and what it looks like, but at the end of the day I want to win. That’s who I am as a person. I want to be a winner. I want to be a competitor.”
