5 dream scenarios for Falcons in 2023 season

No. 2 dream scenario for Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Ridder, best in NFC South

With Tom Brady officially retired, the title of ‘Best QB in the NFC South’ is officially up for grabs and the race is wiiiiiide open. Baker Mayfield will take over the starting reins in Tampa. No. 1 pick Bryce Young will be under center in Carolina, Derek Carr will carry Drew Brees’ torch in NOLA, and second-year QB Desmond Ridder will get his first full season as starter in Atlanta.

The Falcons have high hopes for Ridder, who flashed plenty of promise in four appearances last season. Atlanta already has the best group of complementary offensive talent in the division. No team comes close, frankly. The defense hasn’t been great, but even if it’s simply better, the Falcons should be well-positioned in the division.

Ridder’s competition for the ‘Best QB’ title isn’t necessarily stiff, but it’s not absent either. Derek Carr threw for 3,522 yards with Las Vegas last season and made his fourth Pro Bowl appearance. He’s going to put up numbers for New Orleans. Bryce Young is a rookie, but he’s the No. 1 pick for a reason and the Panthers will place complete and absolute faith in him to run the offense.

Odds are Ridder won’t out-throw Carr or Young. The Falcons are going to run, run, run with Bijan and company. So, if Ridder falls behind in the yardage and touchdown categories, what exactly does this “Best QB” season look like for the 23-year-old?

It comes down to efficiency. Ridder has been extremely smart and efficient dating back to his glory days at Cincinnati. He posted a 30:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio as a junior for the Bearcats. Last season in four starts for Atlanta, he only threw two touchdowns but, notably, he posted zero interceptions.

Not many rookie QBs can make it four games without tossing a pick. The Falcons didn’t exactly open up the full playbook for Ridder as he learned the ropes, but he limited mistakes and completed a respectable 63.5 percent of his passes. He certainly looked like an upgrade over Marcus Mariota.

So, if Ridder can bump up his completion percentage a couple of points in year two, increase the touchdown rate as the offense ramps up, and still throw fewer picks than Carr and Young are bound to with their respective teams, maybe — just maybe — Ridder the game manager takes over the title of ‘Best QB in the NFC South.’