Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Reed returns to bench
For the second time this season, Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith swapped struggling quarterback Desmond Reed for backup Taylor Heinicke.
The Falcons currently have a record of 6-8, but are still a long way from winning the NFC South title. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints are both 7-7. If the season ended today, the Buccaneers would be in first place in the NFC South. They would win the division and enter the NFC playoffs as the fourth seed.
The Falcons have a path to a playoff berth, albeit a narrow one. As long as they're competing for a division title or an NFC wild-card berth, Smith will do whatever it takes to find the best option at quarterback.
According to recent Upshot projections, the Falcons have a 5% chance of winning the division and a 7% chance of making the playoffs.
Key interception derails Ridder
Reed started the season with a 4-4 record as the starter before Smith benched him to boost a stagnant offense. Eight weeks into the season, the Falcons' offense ranks fourth in the NFL, averaging just 17.3 points per game.
Reed returned as the starter after a bye in Week 12. The makeshift bench change seemed to work, as the Falcons won two games in a row with Reid back under center.
Reed's form regressed, and the Falcons lost their last two games, including a 29-25 blowout to the Buccaneers in Week 14. However, a heartbreaking loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 15 may have sealed Reid's fate.
The Falcons led 7-6 late in the game and almost had a touchdown, but Reed threw an interception in the red zone. The Panthers and rookie quarterback Bryce Young took advantage of the momentum, scoring the game-winning field goal to win 9-7. The Panthers won only their second game of the season, so losing to a conference rival was a shame.
Obviously I've had my ups and downs," Reed said. "I've been able to go out and have great games, and of course as the game goes on, there's going to be one or two plays every game where things go wrong or things go wrong. "
Reed has 14 fumbles this season. He also had six turnovers in the red zone, which ranked first in the NFL.
Reed is 6-6 as a starter for the Falcons this season. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,528 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added five rushing touchdowns.
Heinicke gets another chance
Prior to this season, Heinicke had a 12-12-1 record as a starter for the Washington Commanders. He is 0-2 as a starter for the Falcons this season.
Heinicke lost by a combined five points in two games. The Falcons lost 31-28 to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9 after a legendary performance from backup quarterback Josh Dobbs.
In Week 10, the Falcons lost their lead in the fourth quarter before Kyler Murray led the Cardinals to a 25-23 comeback win.
"We're frustrated," Smith said after the loss."If you fall short, anyone will. We need to fix things and find a way to get back to winning."
During her bye week, Smith made the difficult decision to reinstate Reid. His tenure lasted just four games before Smith re-signed Heinicke as the starter.
In three games this season, Heinicke is completing 55.4 percent of his passes for 498 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
BETTING ON ANOTHER QB MAKE
If the Falcons want to have a chance at making the playoffs or competing for the division title, they must win all of their remaining games. In that sense, Week 16 has a playoff feel as the Falcons are in a must-win situation.
The Falcons host the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) on Sunday in their final home game of the season in Atlanta. They play two road games to close out the season, including Week 17 against the Chicago Bears and Week 18 against the Saints.
The Falcons are -1.5 favorites against the Colts. South Point Casino in Las Vegas currently lists the game as a favorite, but Circa Casino and Sportsbook have the Falcons as a -1.5 favorite. Fan Duel and DraftKings have the Falcons as -1 favorites.
The Colts have the best betting record in the NFL this season with a 9-5 record. The Falcons have a 4-10 ATS record, the third-worst mark in the NFL. Heinicke is 0-2 ATS as a starter this season.
The Buccaneers are the betting favorite to win the NFC South at -165, ahead of the Saints (+195) and Falcons (+750). The bottom line suggests the Buccaneers have a 68% chance of winning the division and the Saints have a 27% chance.
The Falcons have a +600 chance to make the playoffs, according to DraftKings betting. At -900 odds, they are one of the teams most likely to miss the playoffs.
At +20,000 odds, the Falcons are a long way from winning the Super Bowl.
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Source: www.casino.org
