DESMOND RIDDER

What do the 10 teams picking highest in the NFL draft need? We go through teams from the Bears and Texans to the Panthers and Colts, examining which positions they could reinforce.

With a high draft pick and a lot of cap space, the Falcons could be an NFC South contender in 2023. But do they have a franchise QB?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady suffered his first losing season of his future Hall of Fame career, as the Bucs fell to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18.

The Bucs finish with an 8-9 record, winning the NFC South but giving Tom Brady his first losing season as a starter.

Will the Falcons look for a new QB this offseason? Desmond Ridder has a chance to show them he's worth sticking with. Meanwhile, which young players could the Buccaneers lean on this week?

The Atlanta Falcons edged the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday thanks to a 21-yard game-winning field goal from Youghoe Koo as time expired.

From 4-4 to 5-10, the Atlanta Falcons have collapsed in the second half of a season that was seen as a rebuilding year from the start. “Ultimately, it’s about winning, but you can look at a lot of progress being made,” Smith said after Saturday’s 17-9 loss at Baltimore. When the Falcons bring a four-game losing streak into a likely half-full Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face Arizona on Sunday, they will do so knowing they haven’t had a winning record at any point since the end of the 2017 season.

Baltimore's defense kept the Falcons out of the end zone and backup QB Tyler Huntley and the Raven's second-ranked rushing attack did just enough to win a cold Christmas Eve game.

Tyler Huntley threw a first-half touchdown pass, and the Baltimore defense kept the Atlanta Falcons out of the end zone in a 17-9 victory that ended up assuring a playoff spot for the Ravens.

The New Orleans Saints remained still in the hunt for the NFC South title on Sunday with a three-point victory against the Atlanta Falcons at home.

Both teams are hoping for a late-season surge. But the Saints are relying on 35-year-old QB Andy Dalton while the Falcons turn to rookie Desmond Ridder.

Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder made it clear he will be ready to make his first career start in the NFL when the team kickoffs off in New Orleans on Sunday.

Marcus Mariota is scheduled to have surgery on his knee, which will put the Atlanta Falcons quarterback on injured reserve, head coach Arthur Smith said.

The Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday released running back Damien Williams, the veteran who never returned after a rib injury in his first game with the team. The release of Williams came one day after coach Arthur Smith announced rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder will start in Sunday's game at New Orleans. Marcus Mariota has been benched, leaving his status for the remainder of the season uncertain.

"There will be changes made. We've got to look at everything," Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said after Sunday's loss. Could QB Desmond Ridder replace Marcus Mariota?

A vast majority of the quarterback changes made in the offseason have not worked out for NFL contenders looking to stabilize the position and win right away.

ALLEN PARK -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has proven himself as one of the top dual-threat options in the league. Hurts burnt the Detroit Lions for a team-leading 71 yards in Philadelphia’s 44-6 blowout win at Ford Field last season, too. “I mean, that was the first time really having a mobile quarterback,” Lions edge defender Charles Harris told MLive. It’s worth covering those preseason results because the Lions don’t have a mobile quarterback to deploy in practice. A whole bunch of different, the play after the play really with those guys, right?

Marcus Mariota led Atlanta to scores on two of his three drives in the Falcons’ 24-16 loss against mostly New York Jets backups.

Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jared Bernhardt with 1:30 left to give the Atlanta Falcons a 27-23 win over the Detroit Lions on Friday.

DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions let their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons slip away in the final minutes, losing 27-23 in front of 40,000-plus announced fans at Ford Field. Backup quarterback David Blough mishandled the handoff, and the Falcons recovered the fumble to take over after the two-minute warning. Bernhardt turned at the last second and made an impressive catch in the end zone to give the Falcons the lead for good. And the defense had one heck of a hard time containing Falcons quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Ridder. Man, we got a lot of situational football in there, which was good,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the game.

The running backs combined to run for 32 yards on six carries overall, a bodacious 5.3 yards a pop. That’s Jake Matthews, who has started every game for Atlanta over the last seven years and made one Pro Bowl. And Hutchinson made him look like, well, that, before finishing off the play with a tackle for loss in the backfield. He’s right too. -- The Lions held a moment of silence before the game for William White, a former great who recently passed.

ALLEN PARK -- Dan Campbell gave his starters about a quarter of action in last year’s preseason opener. And the second-year head coach plans to do the same when the Detroit Lions host the Atlanta Falcons in their preseason opener on Friday night. He added that the preseason opener doesn’t change his plans for training this week. But everything up until the day before the game is about Detroit vs. Detroit. We gotta get better at what we do and still compete against each other.”The Lions have joint practices and their second preseason game in Indianapolis on the books for next week.

A baseball player punched an opponent following the 2A state championship game.

Desmond Ridder's drive to be first begins with an early start at his Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp apartment. “I told Desmond, ‘Don’t be so loud in the morning,'" FitzPatrick said after Saturday's session. Ridder, the Falcons' third-round pick from Cincinnati and the second quarterback selected in last month's NFL draft, says he knows no other way.

It took 42 selections Friday before a second quarterback was taken in the NFL draft.

The second day of the NFL draft ended appropriately with another wide receiver being selected.

This year's quarterback class isn't as heralded as last year's or even next year's.

ESPN veteran draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay joined forces for an alternating mock draft covering three rounds. Kiper handled even-numbered selections, so he had Picks 2, 32, 34 and 66 for the Detroit Lions. He sent Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker to Detroit at Pick 2 after mocking Aidan Hutchinson to the Jacksonville Jaguars to get things started. Draft smokescreen season has focused on Thibodeaux’s personality and potential fit with head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions. “And remember, D’Andre Swift has yet to play a full season in the NFL.”Related headlines:NFL draft 2022: Will the Detroit Lions fall in love with a quarterback in this year’s ho-hum class?

ESPN’s Todd McShay doesn’t think the Detroit Lions should take a quarterback at Pick 2. McShay has Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson to the Jacksonville Jaguars to get things started, then sent Georgia’s Travon Walker to Detroit. McShay then sends Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Lions at Pick 32. McShay then sends Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill to Detroit at Pick 34 at the top of Round 2. “Hill probably belongs in the first round, but the Lions get lucky with the smooth, speedy safety on Day 2,” McShay writes.

Kenneth Walker III believes NFL scouts may be shortchanging this year’s running backs contingent.

INDIANAPOLIS -- It was a meaty day at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, with quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends taking the podium on Day 2. The Detroit Lions haven’t tried to hide their interest in finding a pass-catcher or two come April’s draft. New offensive coordinator Ben Johnson drooled over the idea of adding a go-to playmaker out wide. Top prospect: ‘Mimic game after him’ -- NFL.comThe NFL Combine Is Dumb. 1 cornerback among 250 prospects ranked -- The AthleticJeremiah: 7 candidates to run fastest combine 40 -- NFL.comBruce Feldman’s Freaks List revisited: Which NFL Draft prospects will be freaky at the Combine?

Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes and the National team’ had eight sacks in a 20-10 victory over the American team in the Senior Bowl on Saturday.

The pass rushers did their best to steal the show from quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Kenny Pickett in the Senior Bowl. Cincinnati's Ridder threw two touchdown passes and the National team had eight sacks in a 20-10 victory over the American team Saturday. “We didn't come out here to lollygag through it," Minnesota defensive lineman Boye Mafe said.

But it has been almost a half-century since the Lions built around a running quarterback. That’s 24.5 rushing yards per game. And no Lions starting quarterback has averaged more than 20 rushing yards since. Lamar Jackson, former league MVP, just averaged 63.9 rushing yards per game last season. Tom Brady doesn’t exactly run well, then became the greatest quarterback of all time and was still playing at an MVP-caliber rate throughout the rise of the mobile quarterback.

Malik Willis also fumbled a snap, and his accuracy was all over the place. But the other part of that book -- that he has a tantalizing dual-threat skill-set -- appears to be on point too. “I think he’s pretty athletic, he’s built better than (I expected). Everyone struggled, and especially on the Lions’ side, which also features Zappe and North Carolina’s Sam Howell. “It’s been really cool (working with Lions coaches),” Willis said.

Detroit’s second first-rounder via the Matthew Stafford trade to the Los Angeles Rams is currently projected at Pick 28. The longtime ESPN analyst sent Hutchinson to Jacksonville, then Kayvon Thibodeaux at Pick 2. David Ojabo, EDGE, MichiganMocked by: Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus (Pick 28)It’s hard to imagine David Ojabo falling this far. Devin Lloyd, LB, UtahMocked by: The Draft Network (Pick 28)Devin Llyod is getting some love as a potential top-10 name to watch. The 6-foot-3, 236-pound defender notched 15.5 sacks, 43 tackles for loss and five interceptions across the previous three seasons.

A shirtless Cincinnati Bearcats fan quickly became a meme after the Alabama football team's defense held UC to a field goal during the CFP semifinal.

Top-ranked Alabama is headed to another national championship game.

Desmond Ridder and the breakthrough Cincinnati Bearcats have stalled on the big stage against top-ranked Alabama.

Arguably ine of the biggest days of the bowl season thus far is set for Friday. Desmond Ridder has been the offensive catalyst this season for Cincy, but will have his hands full against the Crimson Tide defense. Therefore, their opponents in the Central Michigan Chippewas are getting the chance to stay in the bowl season. Rutgers is playing in a bowl game because they accepted the invitation to play after the original participant, Texas A&M, pulled out due to COVID and injury issues. They are going to be playing in their 11th bowl game, and first since winning the Quick Lane Bowl back in 2014.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL, USA -- Doug Lesmerises and Shehan Jeyarajah have been talking about the College Football Playoff since July, and now it’s time for them to make their picks for the semifinals in the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl. They are joined on The College Football Survivor Show by Tyler Shoemaker at the start of the show to talk about the betting lines, with Alabama favored by 13.5 over Cincinnati and Georgia favored by 7.5 over Michigan. And then it’s on to their picks and their reasoning, and some attempted explanation of why Doug is the way he is. Thanks for listening to The College Football Survivor Show. Previous episodes of The College Football Survivor ShowDeep dives on the two semifinalsThe playoff is set

The biggest game week in Cincinnati history has arrived.

Texas A&M holds the lead in the race for the national recruiting title in college football.

“I don’t see one who is a lock to be a high-level NFL starter; my highest-graded QB is at No. He’s among the best deep passers in college football, with that arm strength sticking out and then some. Nevada quarterback Carson Strong passes downfield against Fresno State during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Fresno, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)APCarson Strong, QB, NevadaSomething about the junior quarterback’s game makes it feel like there’s more to offer and room to grow. Jurkovec, listed at 6-foot-5, 225-plus pounds, was a rising name heading into the season before an injury and Boston College football diminished his glow.

Jerome Ford rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns and Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes as No. 3 Cincinnati broke open a close game in the third quarter and rolled past No. 16 Houston 35-20 in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes and No. 4 Cincinnati completed a perfect regular season by beating East Carolina 35-13.

Cincinnati has moved into position to make the College Football Playoff, climbing a spot to fourth behind Georgia, Ohio State and Alabama.

Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score and even caught a TD pass to help No. 3 Cincinnati roll past SMU 48-14 on Saturday.

Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes to break the Cincinnati career record and ran for a score to help the No. 2 Bearcats beat South Florida 45-28 on Friday night.

Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes to break the Cincinnati career record and ran for a score to help the No. 2 Bearcats beat South Florida 45-28 on Friday night. Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0 American Athletic, No. 5 CFP), one of four unbeaten FBS teams, has started the season with 10 consecutive wins for just the second time in school history. The Bearcats also did it in 2009, when they got off to a 12-0 start.

Tulsa’s Steven Anderson fumbled as he was reaching for the goal line on fourth-and-goal from the 1, Jabari Taylor recovered for a touchback and No. 2 Cincinnati held off Tulsa 28-20.

Desmond Ridder twice connected with tight end Josh Whyle for touchdowns and No. 2 Cincinnati remained unbeaten with a 31-12 victory over struggling Tulane.

Jerome Ford rushed for a career-high 189 yards and four touchdowns to help No. 3 Cincinnati roll past UCF 56-21.

Desmond Ridder threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns and No. 5 Cincinnati routed Temple 52-3 on Friday night for its 23rd straight home victory.

Watch college football on FuboTV (7-day free trial)While Temple has not been bad, they certainly have not been great either. Even though Cincy is coming in as the favorite, it is Temple who has the historical edge on the Bearcats. Dating back to 1973, the Owls have won 13 of the 22 meetings including winning four-straight prior to Cincinnati winning their last meeting two years ago. What: NCAA FootballWho: Temple Owls (3-2) vs. #5 Cincinnati Bearcats (4-0)When: Friday, October 8Time: 7:00 p.m. ETWhere: Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati, Ohio)Channel: ESPNStream: FuboTV (7-day free trial), Sling, DirecTV StreamCheck out the NCAA Football rankings

Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes and ran for score late in the fourth quarter as No. 7 Cincinnati capitalized on its big opportunity and beat No. 9 Notre Dame 24-13 in a game the Bearcats hope can be the centerpiece of College Football Playoff resume.

Saturday sees quite a few big-time matchups across the college football landscape. In South Bend, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Cincinnati Bearcats each look to the keep their perfect records in tact, while making their push to show they are College Football Playoff worthy programs. Notre Dame had a couple of tightly-contested games with Toledo and Purdue, but when they took on Wisconsin, on the road, they left no doubt. What: NCAA FootballWho: #7 Cincinnati Bearcats (3-0) vs. #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-0)When: Saturday, October 2Time: 2:30 p.m. ETWhere: Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Ind.)

No. 8 Cincinnati took one small step toward playoff contention by rallying to beat Indiana.

Jerome Ford rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns and Desmond Ridder passed for 243 yards and two TDs to lead No. 7 Cincinnati past Murray State 42-7.

Georgia place kicker Jack Podlesny, offensive player of the game, stands with Georgia head coach Kirby Smart after the Peach Bowl NCAA college football game against Cincinnati, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in Atlanta. 6 Cincinnati its only loss of the season with a dramatic 24-21 victory in the Peach Bowl. Daniels, a Southern California transfer, passed for 392 yards while improving to a perfect 4-0 in four starts for Georgia. Podlesny’s winning kick tied a Peach Bowl record for longest field goal and gave Georgia a 22-21 lead. “I would feel much better if we just played our best game,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.

Cincinnati tight end Leonard Taylor (11) is stopped by Central Florida defensive back Richie Grant (27) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Cincinnati wide receiver Michael Young Jr. holds the ball up as he scores a touchdown during the first half of the team's NCAA college football game against East Carolina, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Cincinnati. 7 Cincinnati rout East Carolina 55-17 on Friday night. In Cincinnati's three-point victory over East Carolina last year, the Pirates scored 43 points and piled up 638 yards. Ridder's 16-yard scramble on third-and-12 set up Jerome Ford's 24-yard touchdown run, and Tre Tucker's 45-yard touchdown reception highlighted a 28-point second quarter. BIG PICTURE:East Carolina: Linebackers Bruce Bevins and Dre Terry were ejected for targeting within about five minutes in the second quarter.

The Bearcats can clinch at least a share of the AAC East title with a win at South Florida on Saturday. After barely squeaking out a win against East Carolina, Cincinnati pummeled Connecticut 48-3 last weekend behind stellar defensive play. ABOUT SOUTH FLORIDA (4-5, 2-3)The story of the season for the Bulls has been trouble on offense, exacerbated in their 17-7 loss to Temple. South Florida has a takeaway in every game this season. PREDICTION: Cincinnati 35, South Florida 14

2 Ohio State (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) isnt your ordinary team. Oddsmakers have made Ohio State a 51-point favorite, which according to some bookmakers is the biggest in a Big Ten game. Ohio State coach Ryan Day had several players available at the press conference, including backup quarterback Chris Chugunov. So, it is understandable Ohio State is a 51-point favorite against a team that last won a Big Ten game in November 2017. The Ohio State defense has allowed points on 14 of 115 opponent drives this season and only three rushing touchdowns.

Two of the other contenders for that potential bid get the national spotlight this Saturday on CBS Sports Network. Also vying for that spot are the perennial class of the Mountain West, the Boise State Broncos. Zaire sees that loss as a strong motivating factor for the Broncos as they push forward through the rest of their schedule. The Broncos look to get back to their winning ways on Saturday night in the Bay Area against San Jose State. Boise State enters the matchup as 17-point favorites according to SportsLine.

Head Coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats watches his team warm up before a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)HOUSTON - Cincinnati got off to a strong start in American Athletic Conference play when it snapped perennial favorite Central Florida's 19-game conference winning-streak. The Bearcats have ripped off three straight victories and will now head to Houston, a team still looking for its first win in AAC play. Sophomore signal-caller Clayton Tune will start his second game of the season and fourth of his career. PREDICTION: Cincinnati 35, Houston 24More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

"I think the most important thing is it was probably the complete game we've been looking for," Bearcats' coach Luke Fickell told reporters. It wasn't normal," UCF senior running back Adrian Killins Jr. told reporters of the 35-34 loss at Pittsburgh on Sept. 21. Cincinnati senior RB Michael Warren II leads the team with 262 yards rushing and needs 85 to become the 13th Bearcat to accumulate 2,000 on the ground. The Bearcats have been penalized the fifth-most yards nationally at 82.8 per game while the Knights are 18th at 71.2. PREDICTION: Central Florida 38, Cincinnati 28More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Head Coach Luke Fickell of the Cincinnati Bearcats watches his team warm up before a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. - Cincinnati returns to action after having a week off when it visits Marshall for a non-conference contest on Saturday. Marshall has had no such trouble offensively, putting up 32 points per game behind an offense that relies on the ground attack. ABOUT MARSHALL (2-1)With the dismissal of Tyler King after two games this season, Knox was thrust into the No. PREDICTION: Marshall 28, Cincinnati 20More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Running back Bolu Olorunfunmi #4 of the UCLA Bruins tries to break through the Oklahoma Sooners defense at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. LINE: Cincinnati -3After visiting the Bearcats, UCLA returns home to face San Diego State and Oklahoma before opening conference play with back-to-back road games against Washington State and Arizona. Cincinnati has won eight consecutive season openers and 14 of its last 15 since 2005. Cincinnati led the AAC in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense last season. PREDICTION: Cincinnati 27, UCLA 20More college football scoresCopyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.