Falcons look to Ridder as starting quarterback

The Atlanta Falcons return from their goodbye with a new starting quarterback.

Head coach Arthur Smith announced Monday that rookie Desmond Ridder will take over from Marcus Mariota for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

"I changed quarterbacks. Desmond Ridder will be the starter. It's a performance-based decision," he said at a press conference.

The move was expected after it was announced last week that Ridder would be named the starter.

A third-round pick in the April draft, Ridder is yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season after throwing for 10,239 yards with 87 touchdowns and 28 interceptions during his four-year college career in Cincinnati.

He resumes an offense that needs a boost, with Atlanta having dropped four of five losses, averaging 15.3 points in those losses.

Despite their recent drop to 5-8, the Falcons are only one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the modest NFC South, so a path to the playoffs with Ridder at QB is not not out of the question.

Ridder will likely be the Falcons' starter for the rest of the season, as Smith said Mariota will likely be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Mariota was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Falcons' 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, but struggled to generate much offense in the last month.

Over Atlanta's last five games, Mariota has averaged just 157.4 passing yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions for an 81.6 rating.