Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Zeglinski

Desmond Ridder’s brutal interception drew the most defeated surrender cobra from Arthur Smith

Desmond Ridder Arthur Smith Falcons Atlanta (Organization) Lamar Jackson Washington

The Atlanta Falcons had hope. After leading the team to a tense win over the Houston Texans in Week 5, they thought Desmond Ridder had finally turned the corner. Instead, he only took another massive step back on Sunday.

With the Falcons locked in a duel with the Washington Commanders, Ridder had multiple opportunities to lift Atlanta over the top of a mediocre team. Ridder pretty much squandered most of them in a losing 24-13 performance where he threw three horrendous interceptions.

Easily the most egregious turnover was when the Falcons had a pivotal third-and-goal late in the fourth quarter. After a late snap (and late play call from Smith, a consistent theme for Atlanta on Sunday), Ridder threw up an end-zone duck that was intercepted by Washington’s Benjamin St-Juste. In reaction to the pick, Smith unleashed a surrender cobra that epitomized Atlanta’s pitiful passing game:

That wasn’t Ridder’s last turnover of the day, either. With the game on the line, the quarterback threw another interception on the Falcons’ final possession after staring down Bijan Robinson.

Smith isn’t without fault for Ridder looking lost at the worst possible times. As noted, his play-calling (and timing of said play calls) left much to be desired, more or less occasionally hanging out Ridder to dry. But one week after Ridder looked like he could be a franchise quarterback, all of that goodwill quickly evaporated when he tried to build on it. What’s even worse for the Falcons is that it doesn’t seem like Smith is equipped to properly manage Ridder.

This was how Twitter reacted

 

 

 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Gen Z’s politics are hard to categorize – and a harbinger of a new political order
The great clashes to come will be less between left and right than between those inside and outside a dying establishment
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Bianca Jagger feels 'empowered' in suits
Bianca Jagger was always drawn to wearing suits because she wanted to feel "powerful" like her father.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
‘A long-distance hug’: readers and gen Z on the joy – and expense – of sending Christmas cards
Sales of Christmas cards are down as soaring price of stamps means many people opt for digital festive greetings
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Interactive: What Earth’s 4.54 billion-year history would look like in a single year
As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as a geologist, I think one of the best ways to understand our planet’s history and evolution is by condensing the entire timeline into a single…
The Conversation
The Conversation
Saturday Night Live: Martin Short delivers a star-packed festive treat
The actor joins the five-timers club in a funny and cameo-filled episode that features some of the season’s funniest moments so far
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Messiness & the allure of Fleetwood Mac
A new book about Fleetwood Mac covers the dramatic soap opera — and the songs that made the band legends
Salon
Salon
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play