Arthur Smith wouldn’t commit to the Falcons starting quarterback for their Week 10 matchup right after their loss to the Vikings yesterday, but after some time to evaluate what transpired, he began his press conference today by stating that Taylor Heinicke will remain the starter.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said Taylor Heinicke will remain the team's starting quarterback this week.
Will reassess after the bye.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) November 6, 2023
Taylor Heinicke was far from perfect, completing 21 of 38 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown. He did have a back-breaking interception in the second half that led to a Vikings score. However, the 28 points the Falcons offense put up were the most in a single game all season. The unit looked much more competent with Heinicke under center, even if the end result was disappointment as the defense allowed Josh Dobbs to run up 31 points.
This really shouldn’t have been much of a decision for Arthur Smith. Taylor Heinicke would have had to be dismal for the Falcons to go back to Desmond Ridder. The expectations should be tempered. Nobody should expect Heinicke to look like a Pro Bowler, but right now, he gives the Falcons the best opportunity to win football games. Until that changes, he’s going to start. Arthur Smith did the difficult part by benching Ridder in the first place. Going back to him now would be a total mishandling of the situation.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon
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