The Cousins experience built real momentum for the Falcons until the wheels came off. The Falcons have dropped four straight games since beating the Dallas Cowboys in early November to get to that 6-3 record, and Cousins’ substandard play has been a leading contributor to the decline.

For Ridder, the start comes against his old team, who drafted the Cincinnati product in the third round of the 2022 draft. He compiled an 8-9 record as a starter over two seasons in Atlanta before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals in March. Las Vegas signed Ridder off of Arizona’s practice squad in October.

The Las Vegas Raiders fell to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Quarterback Desmond Ridder addressed the media after the game.