Week Four’s trip to London was a rough one for Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder, but he found smoother sailing back on his side of the Atlantic Ocean.
After throwing two interceptions in a 23-7 loss to the Jaguars, Ridder was sharp in leading the Falcons to a 19-17 win over the Texans at home. He completed 28-of-37 passes for 329 yards and a touchdown in the win and also ran for a score. He capped the afternoon by hitting on all five passes he attempted for 44 yards on the game-winning drive at the end of the fourth quarter.
It’s the first time Ridder passed the 300-yard mark in his NFL career and head coach Arthur Smith said after the game that bouncing back from the Jaguars loss was a good sign about the kind of player Ridder can be.
“I think it says a lot about him; it’s a tough job to be a quarterback in this league,” Smith said, via the team’s website. “That’s what they sign up for. A lot of those guys are well compensated, [but it] takes a special mindset. He’s got the right mindset. We know there’s a lot of work to do. If we think we have all the answers today and we don’t continue to improve and grow, you’ll get humbled pretty quick. We’re not going to take any victory laps. We’re very pleased, and it was great to see his response this week.”
Ridder’s first year as a starter in the NFL will likely feature more stumbles and his ability to weather them while finding a way to perform better in the future will be a crucial part of his development. Sunday was a good sign on that front.