The Falcons leaned heavily on their running game during Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Browns, but it appeared at times that they were trying to take the game out of quarterback Marcus Mariota’s hands.
Atlanta ran the ball 14 straight times during one stretch in the second half, and Mariota attempted just two passes in the fourth quarter. For the game, the Falcons QB completed just seven pass attempts.
You can see Mariota’s full Week 4 passing chart below, courtesy of Next Gen Stats
Mariota completed just one of four passes beyond 20 yards in Week 4. He went 3-for-7 on passes between 10 and 20 yards, with an interception, and 3-for-7 on passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
It also appears that Mariota favors throwing the ball to his left, where he racked up six of his seven completions on Sunday. Overall, this was a poor performance from the veteran signal-caller. If you’re not going to stretch the field, you can’t afford to turn the ball over or complete just 36 percent of your passes.
Luckily, the Falcons’ running game couldn’t be stopped in the fourth quarter and the team is 2-2 despite Mariota’s underwhelming day. While his job is likely safe for now, Mariota needs to show a little more going forward or the team may be tempted to take a look at rookie QB Desmond Ridder.
