Atlanta Falcons

Let's get some listening going!

Atlanta Falcons practice squad wide receiver Cameron Batson was arrested early Saturday morning in Atlanta after allegedly fighting with police officers and fleeing the scene of a traffic stop.

According to ESPN, the Atlanta Police Department stated in a release that Batson was pulled over at 2 a.m. ET on Saturday for speeding and failing to maintain his lane on an interstate. Officers on the scene determined that Batson was intoxicated.

Batson allegedly resisted arrest, and an officer fired his gun during the struggle, but no one was hit. Police say Batson then got into his truck and drove away before crashing, fleeing on foot and ultimately getting subdued and arrested.

The Falcons released the following statement on Batson's arrest: "We have been made aware of an overnight incident involving Cameron Batson and are currently gathering information from law enforcement agencies. We take this matter seriously and have no further comment at this time."

Batson, 27, originally signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech in 2018.

He spent four seasons with the Titans, registering 22 receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns in 27 games from 2018-2021. He also returned 16 kickoffs for an average of 19.4 yards.

After a torn ACL cut Batson's 2021 season short, he signed with the Falcons in free agency ahead of the 2022 campaign. The move reunited Batson with Arthur Smith, who became Atlanta's head coach after previously serving as the Titans' offensive coordinator.

The Falcons released Batson in August, but he then signed with the practice squad and has spent the entire 2022 season in that role.

The 5-10 Falcons will host the 4-11 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in their second-to-last game of the season.

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees was hospitalized after suffering an injury during an on-field collision ahead of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, the team announced (h/t NFL Network's Ian Rapoport).

NFL analyst Cam Marino reported a Saints player ran into Pees during a kickoff drill.

A cart and stretcher came out to take Pees off the field. Medical staff stabilized his neck before placing him on the cart and transporting him to the hospital, per ESPN's Michael Rothstein.

The Falcons said in their statement that Pees was "alert and responsive." He was released from the University Medical Center New Orleans after receiving treatment, the team later announced. He will fly back to Atlanta with the team.

Frank Bush took over as the team's interim defensive play caller Sunday.

Pees, 73, has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for more than a decade. He entered the NFL as a linebackers coach for the New England Patriots in 2004 and became a defensive coordinator for the franchise in 2006.

After his stop in New England, Pees joined the Baltimore Ravens as an inside linebackers coach in 2010 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2012. He also served as defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans before coming out of retirement and joining the Falcons in 2021.

Pees is the oldest defensive coordinator in the NFL.

The Falcons could be in trouble without their defensive coordinator Sunday. They already entered the game with one of the NFL's worst defenses, allowing 380.6 yards per game (251.1 passing and 129.5 rushing).

Additionally, they are allowing 24.0 points per game.

The Falcons entered Sunday's game with a 5-8 record and still have a chance to win the NFC South.

It's Desmond Ridder's time. And the Atlanta Falcons have approached his rookie season as though that time would come this year.

"I'm prepared for this," Ridder told reporters on Wednesday. "This is what they've been preparing me for. They didn't want to baby me."

Marcus Mariota has been the starting quarterback up until this point, but head coach Arthur Smith chose to make the switch to Ridder during the bye, giving him an extra week to prepare as the starter for Sunday's matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Ridder, 23, has yet to play at all in the regular season after being Atlanta's Round 3 pick in the 2022 NFL draft. But he's felt as though the team has been preparing him for the possibility of seeing the field at any moment.

"It means going about the game plan how a 12-year vet, an eight-year vet, whatever it may be," Ridder told reporters. "Not putting on a wristband, (but) making me memorize every single play call, all the ins and outs, all the checks, all the cadence, just taking it like I've been in the league for eight years (even though) I've been in the league for six months."

Amid reporters that Marcus Mariota left the Atlanta Falcons upon learning Desmond Ridder would be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, head coach Arthur Smith addressed his status.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Smith said Mariota's decision to have knee surgery "had nothing to do with" the decision to play Ridder.

Josh Kendall of The Athletic reported the Falcons learned on Friday, one day after it was reported Ridder would take over at quarterback, that Mariota was going to step away from the team.

Smith confirmed the quarterback change on Monday, and told reporters the decision was "performance-based" due to Mariota's struggles.

During the same press conference, Smith said Mariota's knee was "nothing that has been an issue this season," but it was Mariota's "prerogative" to do what he felt was in his best interest.

Ridder was the second quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL draft. He was selected by the Falcons with the 74th overall pick. The 23-year-old was a two-time AAC Offensive Player of the Year winner at Cincinnati. He has yet to appear in a game this season.

The Falcons signed Mariota to a two-year contract as a free agent in March. He was named the team's starter early in training camp and has played each of the first 13 games this season.

Mariota has played okay in Smith's offense with 2,219 passing yards, 438 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns (15 passing, four rushing).

After scoring at least 23 points in each of their first four games, the Falcons have been held to fewer than 20 points in six of their past nine games.

Despite having a 5-8 record, the Falcons are only one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South. They will play the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on Sunday.

When the Atlanta Falcons made the decision to give rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder a chance to start this week instead of veteran Marcus Mariota, they were reportedly unaware that Mariota would be out indefinitely.

According to The Athletic's Josh Kendall, Mariota is away to have a "chronic" knee issue evaluated, and the Falcons "don't know when or if" he will return to the team. Kendall added that Atlanta anticipates placing the signal-caller on injured reserve.

Mariota, who signed a two-year deal with the Falcons this offseason, started the first 13 games of the season. He threw for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception in last Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. At 5-8, Atlanta has a slim chance of making the playoffs, prompting the switch to Ridder during the team's bye last week.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith acknowledged that not having Mariota as a safety net increases the risk that comes with starting a rookie quarterback. Smith said Mariota's knee "is nothing that has been an issue this season, but that's (Mariota's) prerogative so… Of course, you want all your guys to be here, but guys have to make decisions. It's part of professional sports. You have to have contingency plans."

Earlier this week, the Falcons signed quarterback Logan Woodside off the Tennessee Titans practice squad. The 2018 seventh-round pick will act as the backup to Ridder and is the most experienced quarterback on the roster now that Mariota is out, having attempted three passes in his NFL career.

Second-year player Feleipe Franks, who switched to tight end this offseason, will act as the emergency quarterback. The former Arkansas and Florida signal-caller attempted one pass as a rookie in 2021, and it was intercepted.

The Falcons will hope to see some promise from Ridder when he takes the field this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints (4-9).