Falcons QB Marcus Mariota Reacts to TE Kyle Pitts Injury
The Atlanta Falcons hold the NFL's No. 31 passing offense, averaging just over 150 yards through the air per game ... and the road just got much tougher.
Star tight end Kyle Pitts, who was one of just six rookies to make the Pro Bowl a year ago, suffered an MCL injury last Sunday against the Chicago Bears and has been placed on injured reserve. He's expected to go undergo a procedure and could miss the remainder of the regular season, but he's set to be out a minimum of the next four weeks.
Above all else, it's a disappointing development in what's been a frustrating season for Pitts, who totaled just 28 receptions for 356 yards and two touchdowns through 10 games after a 1,000-yard campaign last year.
Regardless, Pitts' impact often goes far beyond the box score, be it drawing extra attention from defenses or making key blocks at the line of scrimmage. It's a key loss to Atlanta's offense, one that quarterback Marcus Mariota summed up Wednesday.
"Tough," Mariota said, bluntly. "Very unfortunate for a guy in his second year that continues to get better every week. But we'll keep his spirits up, we'll get him back whenever that is, and he'll be back better than ever."
While Falcons coach Arthur Smith opted not to share the details of his conversation with Pitts, Mariota revealed the baseline takeaway: despite being torn up by the heartbreaking injury, Pitts remains upbeat.
"I was on the phone with him and he's in good spirits," said Mariota." (But) any time that happens and you're dealing with an injury, it's tough."
As for where the Falcons go next, the most likely beneficiaries of Pitts' absence are MyCole Pruitt and Anthony Firkser, who have experience with both Smith and Mariota dating back to their time together with the Tennessee Titans.
There's also Parker Hesse, who's played 62 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps, but he's primarily a blocking tight end, as he's seen just one target in the last six games. Additionally, converted quarterback Feleipe Franks could see a larger role, but he's still looking for his first career reception.
Thus, there are a wealth of options ... but can they "replace" the Pitts-sized void?
"You can't, you can't," Mariota reiterated. "Earlier in the year, a guy like (Cordarrelle Patterson) - we had to fill that role with a few other guys. It's kind of a similar situation with Kyle; he turned into one of our better blocking tight ends (and) he's such a force in the passing game. To fill that void, you've got to have a couple guys step up."
Mariota's mention of Patterson refers to the star running back missing four games due to a knee injury after ranking top-five in rushing through three weeks. Without him, rookie fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier and second-year undrafted free agent Caleb Huntley emerged to keep the rushing offense afloat.
Thus, even with the remaining options at tight end not having the pedigree or production that Pitts had, Mariota's left with confidence in the rag-tag unit of replacements and their ability to fill in.
"We've got a great tight end group," Mariota began, "and I think we're more than capable of doing it."
It won't be a simple one-for-one swap with Pitts out of the lineup - he's simply too good and too unique for that. Instead, the Falcons are banking on the entire group to step up, and the coaches to find ways to maximize each player's strengths, perhaps with an added focus.
The battle to overcome the loss of Pitts starts Sunday, when the Falcons travel to take on the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
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