Bench Marcus Mariota for Desmond Ridder? 'No!' Says Falcons Coach Arthur Smith - But Why Not?
"No'' isn't good enough.
In the midst of a nationally televised 25-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, did Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith ever consider making a change at quarterback, as his Marcus Mariota-led offense faltered, mustering just 188 yards of total offense?
"No,'' Smith said.
Sorry, coach. That explanation is not good enough.
With a chance to take a one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South standings, the Panthers defense dominated the Falcons, dropping Atlanta to 4-6. And Mariota was a big part of the failure as he completed 19 of 30 for 186 yards, two touchdowns and one ridiculous interception.
Coach, what are we looking at here?
"You can make it about the quarterback,'' Smith said, "but what about the team?"
Sorry, coach. That explanation is not good enough, either. ... because there is no way to bench 53 guys. ... and the benching of other players performing poorly in this "QB League'' has zero potential of being as impactful as making a change at this particular position.
So, coach what about a change to rookie QB Desmond Ridder next week against the Bears?
"We look every week to make sure we have the right guys in the right spot,'' Smith said - though "every week'' apparently doesn't include the day upon which a Falcons game is scheduled.
The rookie Ridder should not be considered a magic wand here. The Panthers outgained 333-291 the Falcons in total yards, and Smith is right - that's not just about one guy. Indeed, some of Mariota's struggles might've been about him trying to do too much, as he asserted.
"It starts with me," Mariota said. "I was playing a little bit outside of myself trying to make a play too many times and it hurt our team."
It does indeed "start with the quarterback.'' It always does. Smith knows this.
Mariota was held under 200 yards passing for the seventh time this season, and this time around, the failure of the usually reliable running game - combined with the underuse of pass-catchers Kyle Pitts (two receptions for 28 yards) and Drake London (who caught a fairly routine TD pass that, given the paucity of such makes it feel like the Falcons should send the ball to Canton) - doomed Atlanta.
If Ridder replaces Mariota ... and the kid throws for only 186 yards and the kid tosses a goofy blind-somersault interception and the kid fails to get the ball to Pitts and London ... how will the Falcons offense be any worse?
"We look every week'' at change, coach Arthur Smith said, and that's one good thing about this loss coming on a Thursday: The "week'' begins now.
And so should the examination of Desmond Ridder rising to starting QB ahead of a benched Marcus Mariota.
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