Wednesday morning head coach Antonio Pierce said that Aidan O’Connell would be participating in the team’s walk-thru and they would be keeping an eye on him throughout the week before they decide whether he will play.
Following practice, however, when the team’s starting QB was to meet with the media, Desmond Ridder and Aidan O’Connell each stepped behind the podium. Giving the indication that it’s very possible, Ridder could be the team’s starting QB come Monday.
Starting the week as the named starter is a luxury Ridder got many times last season in Atlanta, but he hasn’t experienced yet this season, first on the Cardinals practice squad and now in more than a month in Las Vegas.
“Yeah, that’s just sometimes not how it works in this league. Sometimes as a backup you only get a couple reps throughout the week,” Ridder said.
“But obviously with preparation, just like in any job it would be a lot easier go out there and practice before you go do something. But as a backup our job is to be prepared for any situation.”
Every time a backup steps into a starting role, they are asked if their preparation changes. And they inevitably say it doesn’t.
“As a backup you ‘ve got to prepare as if you’re the starter. You have to prepare as if — it could be any play, it could be the first play, it could be the second. So, for me my mindset doesn’t change. Come in the same way Monday through Sunday and work the same way I do.”
This all sounds good, but preparing like the starting QB when you aren’t the starting QB is simply not possible. They can do their best to to be ready to step in — mental reps and such — but the actual starter will be getting all the actual reps with the other starters as the team practices throughout the week. And from the sounds of it, this week Ridder will be getting that kind of work in.
