NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Falcons went into the locker room at Nissan Stadium in Nashville Sunday with Desmond Ridder as their quarterback. Atlanta was down 14-3 to the Titans. Taylor Heinicke took over at quarterback when the Falcons emerged from the locker room.
Ridder was evaluated for a concussion and was cleared to return. Ridder had a stat line of 8-for-12 passing for 71 yards and one fumble.
As an offense, the Falcons were 2-for-8 on third down in the first half. They were averaging three yards per play and had 89 total net yards.
Ridder was named the Falcons starting quarterback in the offseason. Heinicke joined the Falcons at the same time, signing a two-year deal to return to his hometown after nine years in the league, most recently starting nine games for the Commanders in 2022.
Throughout his time with the Texans, Panthers and Commanders, Heinicke has seen action in 33 games, making 25 starts. He has completed 530-of-830 passes (63.9%) for 5,745 yards, 34 touchdowns and 24 interceptions for an 85.7 passer rating.
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