What It Means:

Heinicke exited in the third quarter on Sunday and didn't return. It sounds like he should be fine following the bye, but Smith said he will use the off-week to determine who the Falcons' starting quarterback will be when the team returns. Desmond Ridder completed 4 of 6 passes for 39 yards in relief of Heinicke on Sunday. He also rushed 3 times for 11 yards and a touchdown. Smith said he liked how Ridder looked after "a reset," so that could be a potential early indicator of where the Falcons are leaning.

Heinicke completed 8 of 15 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 4 times for 34 yards, before leaving on Sunday. He averaged negative-0.28 Passing Net Expected Points per attempt while Ridder averaged 0.38 in relief.