FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons are hoping the time served as a backup will help Desmond Ridder get the start to his NFL career back on track.
Ridder, who’s set to return to the starting lineup when the Falcons (4-6) host the Saints (5-5) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will be the X-factor in the game.
“For me, I think at the end of the day, in practice and games, is going out there and playing free,” Ridder said. “Going out there and playing with a sense of not to mess things up. When you do that, you start to play slow. You start to second guess.”
Playing free and with passion is Ridder’s aim.
“Just letting that show,” Ridder said.
The Falcons’ offense has struggled to launch its passing attack this season. They will need to lean on the NFL’s seventh-ranked rushing attack in Ridder’s return.
“The way you look it is that every opportunity, no matter if you’re in Year 15, Year 2, Year 5, that’s the challenge of the NFL,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “They’re all enormous games, and we’re just thankful we’ve got this opportunity with a lot on the line.”
Ridder made his NFL debut against the Saints last season after the bye week. The Falcons had four games to play and wanted to see if Ridder was ready after they benched Marcus Mariota.
The Falcons know this is a critical matchup against the Saints.
“I think that should be your mindset every week,” Smith said. “We know that’s not reality sometimes. Sometimes, I think whether you win the last two games or you feel better about where you’re at at the bye, the goal is not then to get complacent because this push coming up. Thankfully we have a big opportunity.”
The Falcons are trying to stop a three-game losing streak.
“This is what it’s about,” Smith said. “We’re thankful to have this opportunity. It’s an enormous game coming up. Get the Saints at home. We’ve got everything on the line and everything to play for.”
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