What are the odds?
When the Atlanta Falcons traded Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals, they could not have imagined a scenario in which they would face their 2023 starting quarterback in the year 2024. It took Ridder not making the team and signing to the Cardinals practice squad, being plucked off that squad by a quarterback-needy Raiders team, and injuries to both Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell to thrust him into the starting lineup.
Yet once Ridder joined the Raiders, it seemed inevitable to me that the universe would work its magic to ensure it happened, and sure enough, here we are. With O’Connell’s significant injury, Ridder is the starter, and it’s just in time for the Raiders to face the Falcons on Monday Night Football.
Ridder, who undercut some strong games as a passer with a lot of inconsistency and far too many turnovers, was a 2022 third round pick for the Falcons and a player the front office and coaching staff placed an enormous amount of faith in. When he fell short, it played a major role in sinking Atlanta’s 2023 season, which eventually led to the trade and Arthur Smith’s firing. When Raheem Morris was hired, he talked openly about the importance of better quarterback play for this Falcons team, which was absolutely correct. The only problem is that during Kirk Cousins’ recent slide, he’s playing with the same turnover-happy, I-can’t-believe-he-made-that-throw struggles that defined much of Ridder’s Atlanta tenure.
That means the Falcons will be haunted by a ghost of their recent past in primetime, one that will hope to put together a career performance and sink them to show he belongs as an NFL starter and Atlanta made a mistake. It means the Falcons will have to ensure that doesn’t happen while hoping Cousins puts out of a rut to deliver a big game, putting to rest the idea that the Falcons erred in signing him and earning a win they desperately need.
The universe is funny, isn’t it?