Ridder Time: Falcons bench Mariota in favor of rookie QB

Published December 12, 2022 2:10 PM

By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons are turning to Desmond Ridder at quarterback. Coach Arthur Smith confirmed that Marcus Mariota has been benched in favor of the untested rookie from Cincinnati. The move comes with the Falcons still in contention for a playoff berth despite a 5-8 record and four losses in their past five games. Atlanta made the switch to Ridder to bolster an offense that is averaging just 17.6 points a game during its recent skid. The third-round pick led Cincinnati to a College Football Playoff berth a season ago but has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game.

Article Topic Follows: AP National Sports

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