09 August 2023 , 21:02
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Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard surprisingly said he did not who Desmond Ridder is.
After the AFC East team’s practice session on Tuesday, the 30-year-old was asked by the Pro Football Network his thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. “Ridder?” the cornerback responded. ”I’m sorry?”
Even after discovering the reporter was referring to the Atlanta quarterback, Howard still wasn’t sure who it was. “Oh, I don’t know who that is,” he said. “I’m sorry. What number?”, before the reporter reminded him that he wore the number nine jersey.
“Oh, it was cool,” Howard said after the shirt number jogged his memory. “I don’t know their names. I wasn’t looking at film. It wasn’t like I was studying them. Happy to go against them, but they did, O.K. They did a good job.” Howard made the comments after a joint practice session between the Dolphins and the Falcons before they play a pre-season game against one another in the early hours of Saturday morning.
It is not impossible to think that Howard may not know too much about Ridder given they play in different conferences. When the Dolphins and Falcons last met in 2021, Ridder was still in college and last season marked his first NFL season after being selected in the third round of the 2022 Draft.
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He made his NFL debut against the New Orleans Saints, and he went 13-of-26 for 97 yards and 38 rushing yards. Ridder replaced Marcus Mariota as the starting QB for the final four games of last season and finished the campaign with 708 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, an 86.4 passer rating, and 64 rushing yards.
The player has since commented on the vital experience he gained and lessons learned following his first taste of controlling an offence from the very start of an NFL game. “Those four games for me, and then obviously, coming into the offseason was crucial for me,” Ridder said. “It would be completely different if I hadn’t played one single snap last year.
Desmond Ridder will be the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons in the coming season (Getty Images)“And then coming into this year and being named the starter. So having those four games under for me, just to get the feel, the speed, how it is. It was crucial for me.” Ridder will be full of confidence heading into next season after Falcons owner Arthur Blank provided a glowing assessment of the young NFL star.
"That's comforting for me obviously knowing that Mr. Blank and everyone in the organization believes in me and my skill set," Ridder said. "At the end of the day, for myself, it's about putting a higher expectation than even what they have for myself and going out and trying to exceed that and be better.
“Just to get up, get in early, knock it out, get everything that you need done. And then go to work.” The Falcons will play three pre-season games before commencing the new campaign against the Carolina Panthers on September 10.