Time has arrived for Atlanta Falcons rookie QB Desmond Ridder

Desmond Ridder’s time has arrived.

The rookie quarterback will take his first NFL snap when the Falcons face the host New Orleans Saints in a pivotal game Sunday at 1 p.m. where the loser will likely miss the playoffs.

“We are close, but we need to get over that hump,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “We feel there’s been a growth in Desmond that we’ve seen. He’s been one play away all season, but we feel very comfortable with where he’s at right now to be able to handle the game plan and operate at full capacity.”

Ridder, who was drafted in the third round (74th overall) this past spring, will replace Marcus Mariota, whose combination off on-field struggles and chronic knee pain caused Smith to make a change very few saw coming less than two months ago.

For Week 6, Mariota was named the NFC’s Player of the Week for his performance in a 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 16. He completed 13 of 14 passes for 129 yards with two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 50 yards and a score on six carries. It was the Falcons’ third win in a four-game span.

Now, less than two months later, Mariota might have taken his final snap as a Falcon, as he left the team and was put on Injured Reserve to have season-ending knee surgery.

Mariota signed a two-year contract this offseason as a free agent after spending the past two years in Las Vegas, backing up Derek Carr.

The Falcons (5-8) have dropped four of their past five games to fall behind the NFC South Division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) with four games remaining. The Saints (4-9) have also dropped four of their past five games entering last week’s bye.

“We have to find ways to get back on a winning track,” Smith said. “Really the challenge for Desmond is you’ve gotta go earn the respect. Being named the starter doesn’t all of a sudden mean you’re the new sheriff in town. He’s a rookie and he has to prove that he can be successful and I believe he will.”

The Falcons’ season depends on it.

Atlanta’s anemic passing game, which averages 155.7 yards — second-fewest in the league — has been its biggest weakness.

Mariota has completed just 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,219 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while making all 13 starts this season.

His 15 touchdowns rank 16th in the NFL, while his nine interceptions are tied for fifth-most in the NFL with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins.

At 23, Ridder is a younger version of the 29-year-old Mariota. They are both dual quarterbacks who entered the league after dominating college defenses.

Mariota won the Heisman Trophy en route to leading Oregon to the CFP title game against Ohio State in 2014.

Ridder threw a school-record 87 touchdown passes during his four seasons with the Bearcats, ending his senior season 13-1 with a loss to top-ranked Alabama in the CFP semifinals last December.

He threw for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, which ended with him repeating as the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

“If I thought the moment was too big for him, I wouldn’t put him out there,” Smith said of Ridder, whose 44 wins at Cincinnati are the third-most in college football history. “We need more production with things we try to do. It’s not putting all the blame on (Marcus). There are certain things that we want to see. Desmond has a chance to provide that spark.”

The Saints should be a tough test for Ridder.

New Orleans is 10th in passing defense (203.2 ypg) and 11th in total defense (330.4 ypg) after holding Tom Brady to just 36 of 54 passing for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

However, 54 of Brady’s passing yards came on the Buccaneers’ final drive, which he capped with a game-winning, 6-yard touchdown pass to Rachaad White with three seconds remaining.

“I have confidence in Desmond,” Smith said. “There’s a risk any time you make a move, but you have to be willing to take that if you want to break through and get out of this up-and-down inconsistency.”

Ridder will be opposed by Saints quarterback Andy Dalton, who retained his job after a bye week when coach Dennis Allen chose him over a healthy Jameis Winston, who had been sidelined since Week 4 with an injured back.

Winston led the Saints to a 27-26 season-opening win over the Falcons by going 23-for-34 passing for 269 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Dalton has completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 2,252 yards with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s been sacked 16 times.

However, the Saints are averaging 13.2 points in their past five games, with 27 of their last 66 points coming in a 27-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 20.

“I think Andy’s done some good things,” Allen said. “I think we’ve got to do a lot of other things around him to help him, and that includes us as a coaching staff putting everybody in better positions.”