Breaking News: Arthur Smith Makes Big Quatreback Starting Announcement For Week 9 Vs Minnesota Vikings

The starting quarterback position for the Atlanta Falcons is going to be temporarily switched. In Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Arthur Smith stated that Taylor Heinicke will start at quarterback for the Falcons, with Desmond Ridder filling in as backup.

Smith gave an explanation for his choice, saying, “Taylor will take the reins as our starting quarterback for this week only, given recent developments over the past 72 hours and our assessment of what’s best for this week’s matchup against Minnesota.”

 

 

Heinicke, who joined the team in the off-season to serve as Ridder’s backup, is about to make his Falcons debut.

This change to the starting lineup is important since it makes Heinicke the fourth quarterback to start for the Falcons under head coach Smith’s tenure.
Smith had been reluctant to make this move despite the fact that Ridder had a turnover issue and the team was just 28th in the league in terms of points scored. But in the second half of the previous game against the Tennessee Titans, Heinicke did see action. Ridder was cleared to return after undergoing a concussion evaluation, but he did not re-join the club. Smith made it quite evident that Ridder’s absence had no bearing on his performance. This unexpected incident forced a postponement of the decision on which quarterback would start until Wednesday.

It’s intriguing that Smith started Heinicke today after being hesitant to start Ridder over Marcus Mariota the previous season due to Ridder’s poor performance in his rookie campaign.

The 4-4 Falcons, who are leading the NFC South, have been having offensive difficulties, which is unusual for a top-seeded team to have when they swap quarterbacks halfway through the season. Currently averaging 212.6 yards per game with six touchdowns and six interceptions, Ridder hasn’t been playing well. His performance at the end of his rookie campaign in 2022 is a far cry from the promise he showed, especially given he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since Week 6.

Heinicke, however, has experience standing in at quarterback for the Washington Commanders in past seasons, and he performed admirably when asked to do so.

Nevertheless, he hasn’t been able to establish himself as a reliable quarterback starter due to his patchy ability. In his six seasons in the NFL, Heinicke has started 34 games and amassed a 12-12-1 starting record. His impressive stats include a 63.7% completion percentage on 5,920 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions.

In response to Kirk Cousins’ season-ending injury, the Minnesota Vikings, who are also swapping quarterbacks, will host Heinicke’s Falcons debut. Both clubs are ready for an intriguing contest with a 4-4 record.

Heinicke will probably play a young Jaren Hall in a matchup that wasn’t expected at the start of the season.