
The Marcus Mariota redemption arc has flattened. After 13 mostly inoffensive weeks as the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback, he’s headed to the bench.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that rookie Desmond Ridder would take the reins after the Falcons’ Week 14 bye, It’s a move Atlanta fans had clamored for as Mariota blanked targets downfield and turned a team with Kyle Pitts and Drake London into something approaching a 1990s Big Ten run-first offense.