Desmond Ridder played four seasons for the University of Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to become the first non-Power 5 team to make the College Football Playoff. Now, he is returning to Cincinnati after six months as the Falcons’ backup quarterback.
Even so, Ridder doesn’t see the game as anything special -- just another day at the office when the Falcons face the Bengals at 1 p.m. Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
“It’s no different than any other week for me,” said Ridder, a third-round draft pick of the Falcons this year. “We’re going to travel to play an away game. Obviously have a couple more family members there, but other than that, we’re going to play football.”
Through six games, Ridder hasn’t played this season, with the Falcons relying heavily on veteran Marcus Mariota as the team’s signal-caller. But, the Bengals still prepared themselves for the prospect of having to contain the young rookie if he were to play Sunday.
“There’s a reason they’ve got Desmond and Marcus; their style of offense would be very similar,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said to Cincinnati media Wednesday. “Desmond can beat you with his feet as well as his arm. They’re both really smart quarterbacks. It’s really a pretty good one-two combo as you look at how they’ve positioned their quarterback (group). It’s two guys that are in the same family of skill sets. I’ve got a lot of respect for both of those guys. They both have played really great football over their careers, relatively speaking.”
His teammates have nothing but praise for Ridder. According to his teammates, he has transitioned well from being the starter at Cincinnati to his developmental role with the Falcons.
“Very, very mature. He’s been doing great within the role, taking it for what it is,” rookie receiver Drake London said.
The Falcons’ coaching staff echoed that sentiment, citing his impressive work as the team’s backup.
“(The assistant coaches) have a lot of faith in him,” coach Arthur Smith said. “He’s a mature guy. If he was immature, it’d be a problem.”
“I think he’s a great caddie for Marcus right now,” quarterbacks coach Charles London added. “He’s in the meeting rooms. The backup quarterback has a really hard job because he has to know the game plan as well as the starter does -- but without taking starter reps. He’s taking scout-team reps. I think that’s really, really hard. I think Desmond’s done a great job of that, preparing each week. He spends as much time (on the practice field) as Marcus does. He’s developing.”
What’s more, Ridder does more than his fair share on the sidelines. Backup quarterbacks often are tasked with helping the starter, providing a different perspective on the developments that occur on the field. He has done an exceptional job of that, according to London.
As the scout team’s quarterback, Ridder has gotten a grasp on the different aspects of the position. He also takes time after practice to pull aside some of the receivers and backs who may have not gotten as many reps so they can get extra work, something that’s beneficial for him as a leader and in his development as a player.
“He wants to get that time mentally to go through the reps and the plays, and he does a good job of carrying those other guys with him,” London said.
For Ridder, his position behind Mariota isn’t an unfamiliar one, as he references previous experiences as the backup in the past. Furthermore, he sees the current situation as an opportunity for him to grow early in his career.
“It’s been good for me,” Ridder said of being a backup with the Falcons. “It really hasn’t been a transition. It hasn’t been a struggle for me. I’ve had to sit (before). Sat my freshman year in college. Sat freshman and sophomore year of high school. So, this idea of learning behind the guy who has been in the game for a while, I think it’s a good idea.”
