Getty Drake London of the Atlanta Falcons.
We are about to see the possible future of the Atlanta Falcons when rookie wide receiver Drake London and newly-named starting rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder take the field on Sunday, Dec. 18 together against the New Orleans Saints.
The Falcons made the decision to bench Marcus Mariota for Ridder on Monday and London couldn’t be happier for his teammate, who is much more like a brother to him.
“Oh yeah, that’s my boy,” London told reporters on Wednesday, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “Like you guys are saying, I came in here with him, built a relationship with him and just been grinding ever since and to see him finally get his shot is really really cool to see, just to see that smile again.”
Falcons Went to Work During the Bye Week
While the QB switch went public on Monday, the players learned of the news during the bye week.
And instead of waiting for the start of Week 15, they wasted no time getting to work with their new quarterback.
“It helps a ton, you know,” London said. “Those are just timing throws that nobody can cover. No matter if a guy is face guarding you or not, those are the types of throws that keeps drives alive, keep games alive so I’m excited.
….”We got the news that No. 4 is going to be up, so we had to get some extra work with him out there.”
Ridder has a lot to prove over these next four games, but London and several of his other teammates believe he, along with their help, has what it takes to succeed.
“Just his demeanor and who he is,” London said. “He’s a guy that just lets it hang and just does what he does at the end of the day and I’m excited to see him showcase that in front of everybody.”
London isn’t the only one excited to play with his pal, Ridder’s feelings are mutual and you could see it all over his face during Wednesday’s press conference.
When asked about Drake…look at that smile. It’s on like Donkey Kong.
“Drakes my guy and uh, yeah.” Ridder simply said.
London Could Benefit From a Fresh Quarterback
Heading into Week 15, London has 47 catches for 533 yards and four touchdowns.
As the Faclons’ 2022 first-round pick, London is far from where he wants to be in Year 1 and he expressed his frustration earlier this month.
“You know, the competitor in me, it can bother me a little bit,” London told Sports Illustrated’s Josh Kendall when asked about his ‘limited production.’ “I want to try to do everything I possibly can to help my team and I feel like I can help my team.”
While many critics point their finger at starting quarterback Marcus Mariota, London blames nobody but himself.
“This is a process. I’m a rookie,” he said. “I kind of have to, not go with the flow, but do my job and at the end of the day, the ball is going to find me. When those opportunities come, I have to make the best of them.”
While London takes the blame for his lack of production, Mariota’s inaccuracy all season surely didn’t help. However, things could be on the rise for him come Sunday with Ridder front and center.