When the Atlanta Falcons decided to pull the trigger on trading longtime franchise quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, they ushered in a full reboot that was probably at least two years overdue.
During his 14 years in Atlanta, Ryan averaged 572 passes per season and threw 560 times last year in this system. Don’t expect newcomers Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder to approach last year’s number in 2022 — during his three seasons as the starter with the Tennessee Titans, Mariota averaged 412.
With far less experience at quarterback, the expectation is that the Falcons will lean more heavily on the run, though a glance at their depth chart doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in that approach. While they could always add a free agent at some point, this is what the Falcons are working with for now.
