3 QBs who deserve to be benched after NFL Week 3

NFL Week 3 has treated us to some impressive QB performances. Tua Tagovailoa just put his stamp on the MVP race. C.J. Stroud, Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Brock Purdy — there are plenty of props to go around.

We have also, however, been treated to a few notable stinkers. Some rotten performances were courtesy of the usual suspects. Others came out of left field. It's only Week 3, so it's too early for sweeping takeaways or genuine panic, but a few Week 3 QBs were bench-worthy.

Despite the early nature of things, we are starting to get a sense of which teams are in for a long season and which teams are on the upswing. There are a few teams for whom record is a poor indicator of potential (the Vikings are a very talented 0-3 team, the Falcons are severely over-accomplished at 2-1), but mostly the standings feel like an accurate representation of the NFL landscape as it currently sits.

Some teams would benefit from an overhaul at the QB position. Some QBs simply need to round into shape, lest they start to feel some heat under their seat.

Here are the QBs we're benching.

NFL QB who deserves to be benched after Week 3: Desmond Ridder, Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are better than expected on defense and blessed with a tremendous set of playmakers on offense. Bijan Robinson looks every bit as advertised (with the exception of a slow Week 3), Tyler Allgeier is a talented RB2, Kyle Pitts has a dream set of physical tools at tight end, and Drake London has WR1 upside.

And yet, the Falcons continue to sludge along offensively. A 2-1 start is nothing to complain about on the surface, but despite a winning start to his career (4-2), it's becoming clear that Desmond Ridder is not ready to quarterback an NFL offense full-time. The Falcons are invested in the Cincinnati product, for better or worse, but his performance over the last two weeks has been highly problematic.

The Falcons only mustered six points in Sunday's loss to Detroit. A lot of credit goes to the Lions' defensive line for pressuring Ridder and completing sealing off the run game, but Ridder continues to miss easy passes and halt Atlanta's momentum with boneheaded mistakes. He completed 21-of-38 passes for 201 yards and zero touchdowns on Sunday. The game effectively ended when Ridder tossed a maddening interception at the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter.

It's still early and the Falcons are tied for first in a winnable NFC South in the Eagles take care of the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, but Ridder looks like the worst arm in the division — heck, maybe the league. For every impressive dart, he leaves a receiver vulnerable over the middle or misses a wide-open man by several feet.

A lot of the buzz around Atlanta centered on the idea that Ridder, while not explosive, at least made the simple plays and operated with poise in the pocket. That has not been the case through three weeks.