The Atlanta Falcons came away with a win on Sunday, but there are still some concerns over the play of quarterback Marcus Mariota. At times this season, head coach Arthur Smith has been criticized for limiting Mariota’s passing attempts. However, Smith allowed his QB to throw the ball 28 times in Week 8.
Mariota completed 20-of-28 pass attempts for 253 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during Sunday’s 37-34 win over the Panthers. While he continues to make plays with his legs (43 rushing yards), the team is still struggling to stretch the field in the passing game.
This isn’t due to Mariota’s lack of arm strength, it’s more so because of his indecision in the pocket and inconsistent accuracy on deep throws. This is why a large portion of Atlanta’s completions tend to come within five yards of the line of scrimmage, or behind it altogether.
In fact, Mariota had more attempts behind the line of scrimmage against Carolina than he did beyond 10 yards down field. He also failed to complete a pass beyond 20 yards in the air. Damiere Byrd’s 47-yard touchdown was mostly gained after the catch.
Check out the Falcons QB’s Week 8 passing chart, courtesy of NFL Next Gen Stats.
Despite the limits to Mariota’s game, it’s safe to assume that as long as the Falcons are in contention for the NFC South title, they will stick with him over rookie QB Desmond Ridder.
Atlanta is winning games and Mariota deserves his share of credit for that.
