Here’s some news during the New Orleans Saints’ bye week. The Atlanta Falcons are also resting ahead of Week 15’s game with the Saints on Dec. 18, but they’ve made the decision to bench quarterback Marcus Mariota and start rookie draft pick Desmond Ridder down the stretch. So Ridder will make his first career start against the Saints when both teams come out of their bye.
Ridder, 23, was drafted at No. 74 overall this year after he put together an impressive college career with the Cincinnati Bearcats. He won 43 of his 49 starts for Cincinnati and led them into the College Football Playoff last season. He also posted a rare 9.63 Relative Athletic Score after testing at the NFL Scouting Combine in the spring, so he can scoot.
