National Football League

Could Falcons start rookie QB Desmond Ridder? Smith: 'There will be changes made'

Updated Dec. 4, 2022 6:39 p.m. ET

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Greg Auman

NFC South Reporter

ATLANTA — After another close loss, their fourth in five games, Falcons coach Arthur Smith says changes will be coming after Atlanta's upcoming bye week.

That probably includes a change at quarterback, where an underperforming Marcus Mariota could be benched for rookie Desmond Ridder, the team's third-round pick from Cincinnati.

"We've got to get over this hump," Smith said. "We've got to look at everything. There's a lot of reasons why. It'll be good to be able to take a step back. But there will be changes made. We've got to look at everything."

Sunday saw another loss close enough that the Falcons had a first-and-goal for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Atlanta lost 19-13, but only after a holding penalty negated a Cordarrelle Patterson touchdown and a false start pushed the Falcons farther back, leading to them settling for a field goal down six points with 5:27 to play.

Pittsburgh's offense was able to gain three first downs, burning the clock down to less than a minute, and although the Falcons got another shot, it came from their 2-yard line with no timeouts, and Mariota was picked off on the first play to seal a Steelers win.

"As a team, there are a lot of things we can improve on, and we need to," Smith said. "We want to get back on the winning side. We've had a lot of close games. You see the resolve we have, no matter what. There are no moral victories. ... You want to make sure you're doing the right thing, not overreacting emotionally. There are plenty of examples that that can help maybe spark something. Every option is on the table."

For all the Falcons' struggles, they're still in playoff contention thanks to playing in a weak NFC South. If the Bucs were to lose to the Saints on Monday night, the Falcons (5-8) would only be a half-game out of first place, though Tampa Bay holds the tiebreakers if the two were to finish with the same record. The Bucs come to Atlanta for the season finale Jan. 8, so it's still possible that's a game with implications on the division title, one way or another.

Sunday's loss came a week after the Falcons got to the 2-yard line late against Washington, only to see Mariota throw a deflected pass that was intercepted, allowing the Commanders to escape with a 19-13 win. Atlanta's offense and an overall lack of production is a common thread in their recent struggles, as they've scored 17 points or fewer in each of their last six losses.

Mariota, who has 15 touchdown passes against nine interceptions this season, had moments Sunday, throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end MyCole Pruitt late in the third quarter to get the Falcons within six points. On Atlanta's long drive for a potential go-ahead score late, he converted a third down with a 15-yard throw to tight end Anthony Firkser, then set up first and goal with a 13-yard pass to rookie receiver Drake London.

Penalties set the Falcons back, first a hold, then a false start, and Mariota threw a 13-yard pass to London, but on third-and-goal from the 10, his pass to him sailed high and incomplete, leading Smith to settle for a field goal. The Falcons went 3-for-10 on third downs Sunday, all too often falling into third-and-long plays to make it a more difficult challenge.

Asked about potentially losing his job, Mariota said his focus was on the game and what the Falcons can do to improve. Ridder hasn't taken a snap this season, but now could step in for the final four games, giving Atlanta a look at what they have and whether they need to use a high draft pick on a quarterback in April.

"That's not necessarily where my mind's at," Mariota said. "You're still trying to reflect on what happened in the game. At the end of the day, they've got to make a decision that's best for the team. Whatever happens, happens, but I'm not really thinking about that right now."

Mariota still has support from his teammates, such as tackle Kaleb McGary, who said the entire team bears the blame for Sunday's loss and not any specific player.

"We've got to execute. We had our chances to make plays," McGary said. "It was a penalty here, a poor block there. We've got to execute and take advantage of opportunity, and we didn't. We've got to be better as an offense ... It doesn't matter who plays what position if you don't execute properly. If everybody isn't doing their jobs ... it doesn't matter who's where. The job's not getting done."

The Falcons have this week off before returning with road games at the Saints and Ravens, before returning home to close out the season against the Cardinals and Bucs. Strangely enough, that could still be with a shot at the playoffs, but it might be with a different quarterback behind center a month from now.

"(Mariota) is our quarterback. He's a great teammate, good person," McGary said. "He has his plays that aren't the best, but so do the rest of us. I've yet to play a perfect game, and I don't think anybody else in this locker room has played a perfect game. I'm not going to act like it's anyone else's fault ... It's never on one person, never on one play."

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Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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Atlanta Falcons

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Greg Auman