Falcons' Desmond Ridder: Loses grip on starting gig

Ridder will be replaced by Taylor Heinicke as Atlanta's starting quarterback Sunday versus the Colts, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

Ridder is being benched for the second time this season, a move which Kendall reports could signal the end of his starting tenure for the Falcons. The switch comes following an unimpressive performance by Ridder in poor weather conditions, when he completed 12 of 20 passes for 157 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Atlanta's narrow 9-7 loss to the Panthers in Week 15. Perhaps more crucially, Ridder set up Carolina's final game-winning drive with a crucial red zone interception. The second-year signal-caller will presumably operate as Heinicke's backup Sunday versus Indianapolis.