NASHVILLE — Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith was asked several different ways, and his answer Sunday on changing quarterbacks at halftime came down to protecting Desmond Ridder after the starter was evaluated for a concussion.
Not Ridder’s performance, ugly as it was for the first half.
Ridder was sacked five times Sunday and stripped of the ball once before halftime. The second-year pro out of the University of Cincinnati also threw for only 71 yards before watching Taylor Heinicke try to rally the Falcons in a 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Smith was asked about Ridder’s status as the starter in a variety of questions afterward and kept giving a variation of the same answer.
“I mean, those are obvious questions you’ve got to ask,” Smith said. “We just finished this game. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Des. We didn’t take him out for performance issues. That’s why Taylor is here, to be able to come in as a backup and give us a shot to win.”