3 NFL quarterbacks who should be benched after Week 8

2. Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons

Ridder actually left Atlanta's 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans early with a concussion but he wasn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard prior to his departure. The Falcons struggled to move the ball with Ridder, who completed 8-of-12 passes for 71 yards before getting hurt but looked more cohesive with backup Taylor Heinicke under center.

Heinicke provided a spark for the Falcons, completing 12-of-21 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown playing in relief of Ridder. While we know that Heinicke isn't going to be the future of the franchise, he has demonstrated an ability to keep teams in the playoff hunt dating back to his time with the Washington Commanders.

Head coach Arthur Smith has a delicate dance to perform by trying to take advantage of a very winnable division while developing a young quarterback in Ridder, who has shown flashes of brilliance while making some very bad choices along the way. A chance to reset could be valuable for Ridder while Heinicke keeps the Falcons in the playoff hunt for the next few weeks.

It's unclear at this point if Ridder will be able to clear concussion protocol in time for Sunday's home game against the Cousins-less Vikings. Even if he does, Smith should turn the offense over to Heinicke for the next two weeks with an eye towards rebuilding Ridder's confidence with a mental break.