The Falcons had a number of issues that prevented them from winning in Week 7. From the defense’s inability to cover the Bengals’ receivers, to the offense’s lack of efficiency, there was plenty of blame to go around following Atlanta’s 35-17 loss to Cincinnati.
Injuries in the secondary obviously played a factor, but that’s not something the coaching staff can control. The best move for the Falcons might be to make a change at quarterback.
While Marcus Mariota has done some good things this season, his Week 7 passing chart highlights why the team should consider giving a look to rookie Desmond Ridder.
Any starting quarterback in the NFL should complete more than eight passes through four quarters. The fact that Mariota had just 13 pass attempts in a game that the Falcons trailed by 10 or more for the majority of suggests that Arthur Smith doesn’t trust his quarterback.
Only four of Mariota’s 13 pass attempts went beyond 10 yards down the field. This is something that you wouldn’t expect with both Kyle Pitts and Drake London healthy and on the field.
This isn’t a new issue, either. During Mariota’s Week 6 performance that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week, he attempted just 14 passes. Take a look at Mariota’s passing chart from last Sunday’s win over the 49ers.
The Falcons were the only team in the NFL with less than 15 pass attempts in Week 6. The Jets had the second-lowest total with 18 attempts, and Atlanta is far behind the rest of the league.
When the running isn’t working, you have to be able to lean on your passing game and that simply hasn’t been the case with Mariota under center this season.
If the team isn’t confident enough in its starting QB to throw the ball more than 14 times, perhaps it’s time to see what the rookie can do.
