GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Here’s what Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had to say after the loss to the Cardinals:
On being back in the game: ”A little stiff. Obviously, I’d been sitting for four quarters, so just trying to get as warm as I can. Then it’s obviously just going in and execute. The same way that offense has been doing and they execute, and they move the ball. Just go down and do the same. Like I said, I’m prepared and ready for this situation at whatever time it came. Unfortunately, in the circumstances in which it came, it came today. But I was ready to go.”
On doing enough to become starter again: ”That’s not really my decision. Like I said, my job was to come in and be a backup to Taylor (QB Heinicke) and then be ready to go and I feel like I did my job in that aspect.”
On why the team is struggling: ”Like we said, and have been saying, it’s one play here or there. Honestly, getting that sack right there on defense, you make a couple of poor plays on offense, special teams gives up the big explosive right there. It’s all three phases. There’s just little things here and there that if we take those away or be better on one play here or there, it’s a completely different outcome for one of our games.”
On slipping on fourth and one: ”Yeah, I don’t know. Obviously, I don’t know what happened. Obviously, we came up a little short. I felt that backer coming up and I tried to get out to the left a little bit, but I slipped, tripped, whatever. Obviously didn’t execute it.”
On what the team was thinking when they retook the lead: ”Obviously it was great, but you can’t stop playing until the clock hits zero. We knew that we were either going to have to go back and kick a field goal to win or obviously score a touchdown to win. Whatever happened. So we knew that we were going to have to get the ball back and have a chance to go win if the defense obviously would have stopped it.”
On the balance between fixing things over the bye week and getting rest: ”These next few days for us will be work days. Obviously to come in, correct our mistakes. The biggest thing for all of us is getting rest, mentally and physically. Coming back for when we play the Saints to play healthy. Obviously, huge division opponent, huge rivalry opponent - to be able to go down there and back home and get a win.”
