After benching second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder for veteran signal-caller Taylor Heinicke during the Atlanta Falcons’ Week 8 loss to the Tennessee Titans, head coach Arthur Smith elected to give Heinicke another shot in Week 9 when the Falcons hosted the Minnesota Vikings. After losing to the Vikings, Smith is not prepared to name the starting quarterback for Week 10 when the Falcons face the Arizona Cardinals.
“We have to get back to evaluate. I’m not going to give some answer when we haven’t sat back and looked at everything,” Smith stated in his postgame comments via the team’s website.
While Heinicke may not have played well enough to lead the Falcons to victory and/or secure the starting quarterback job moving forward, he led the Falcons to their highest single-game scoring output of the 2023 NFL season. He completed 21 of his 38 pass attempts for 268 yards to go with a touchdown and an interception, adding three carries for 20 yards through the ground.
The 31-28 defeat to the Vikings brings the Falcons’ record to 4-5, putting them in second place in the NFC South standings, trailing the New Orleans Saints by one game. Smith is trying to find any sort of spark he can to ignite his team while the divisional crown is still in reach, even if that means turning back to the quarterback he just benched a week ago.
It is important to note that Heinicke did not have the Falcons No. 1 wide receiver, Drake London, at his disposal in Week 9. London missed the game due to a groin injury and is still without a timeline to return.
