Falcons to 'Roll Out' New Offense with QB Marcus Mariota?
With Matt Ryan out and Marcus Mariota in, the Atlanta Falcons offense will look a little different in 2022.
Ryan has been the Falcons' franchise quarterback since he was drafted in 2008 and played a very traditional quarterback style of staying in the pocket and finding receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones on the outside, or Tony Gonzalez at tight end on the inside.
But now ... the Falcons are set to operate more like they did before Ryan got to Atlanta.
The main reason the Falcons plummeted in the standings to land Ryan with the No. 3 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft was the downfall of Michael Vick and his dogfighting scandal.
With Vick under center, Atlanta's offense had a large emphasis on the run game. While Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder won't run the ball like prime Vick, the offense's goal of running the ball remains the same.
“I think you’ll see us move the quarterback a little bit more," coach Arthur Smith said in an interview with 92.9 The Game earlier in the offseason. "Hopefully that gives us an edge.”
The Falcons ranked near the bottom of the league in designed roll outs in 2021, but those plans are expected to change with a more mobile quarterback under center this season.
The designed roll outs were a massive part of the Tennessee Titans' success with Mariota and Ryan Tannehill while Smith was the offensive coordinator there. And now, Smith is ready to put his stamp on the offense in Atlanta.
