Heinicke replaces Ridder in Falcons' loss to Titans

The Atlanta Falcons turned to quarterback Taylor Heinicke in the second half of Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Starter Desmond Ridder, who was on the bench to start the third quarter with Atlanta down 14-3, was evaluated for concussion at halftime but cleared the protocol. He was sacked five times and lost one fumble while passing for just 71 yards before being replaced.

Heinicke led Atlanta to 20 second-half points, but that wasn't enough to take down the Titans and rookie Will Levis, who tossed four touchdowns in his first NFL start. Heinicke finished Week 8 with 12 completions on 21 attempts for 175 yards and one touchdown.

"We just finished the game," head coach Arthur Smith said postmatch, according to The Athletic's Josh Kendall. "Obviously, we have a lot of confidence in Des. I didn't take him out for performance issues. (Heinicke) did his job. That's why he's here. We have a lot of faith in Taylor."

The Falcons signed Heinicke to a two-year, $14-million contract this past offseason after the 30-year-old spent the previous three seasons with the Washington Commanders.

Ridder, the Falcons' 2022 third-round pick, became the team's starter this season but has lacked consistency in Year 2. The 24-year-old completed 65.4% of his passes while tossing six touchdowns against six interceptions through the 2023 campaign's first seven games. He also lost five fumbles before the Titans matchup, including three in Week 7.

Sunday's loss dropped Atlanta to 4-4 this season.

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