Falcons Training Camp Notebook: Offense Sharp as QBs Mariota, Ridder Shine
The Atlanta Falcons enter 2022 looking to improve on a 7-10 record from last season, the first of the new regime headlined by coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot.
With training camp officially kicking off, the Falcons face several questions, but have a month and a half to find the solutions.
Here's everything of note on offense from the second day of camp ...
QUARTERBACK'S IMPRESSING EARLY
Prior to this year, quarterback has been one of the least-talked about stories at Falcons training camp for well over a decade, as Matt Ryan had the position bolted down.
However, with Ryan gone, all eyes are on Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder, and the two are off to a fast start in camp. According to ESPN's Michael Rothstein, Mariota went 15 of 15 in the 11-on-11 portion of team drills, with Ridder not far behind at 9 of 11.
Beyond the numbers, both quarterbacks look as if they're seeing the field quickly and clearly, and aren't forcing the ball downfield, instead taking checkdowns. Further, ball placement has been solid from the pair, though Ridder in particular has had a few misses.
With all of the pressure of replacing Ryan, working with new receivers and learning the playbook, there's a lot on the plate for both quarterbacks. Up to this point, they've answered the bell.
OFFENSIVE LINE ROTATION CONTINUES
On day one, the Falcons' first-team offensive line saw Jalen Mayfield and Drew Dalman hold the left guard and center positions, respectively. Today, those two slid to second team, with Elijah Wilkinson and Matt Hennessy rotating up.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that the team has three starting spots available on the offensive line - left guard, center and right tackle. While Kaleb McGary has been the first-team right tackle both days thus far, it wouldn't be a surprise to see free agent addition Germain Ifedi, an 83-game NFL starter, receive reps with the starters.
Regardless of rotation, both days featured four starting linemen from last year's group on the first team, an unsurprising development considering Atlanta didn't make any drastic changes to the room. Moving forward, look to see if any of the above names receive consecutive days with the starters, an indication the staff sees them pulling ahead in the race.
RUNNING BACK BATTLE HEATS UP
Damien Williams was the first running back through the rotation on day one and followed it up with a good day two. Williams was Atlanta's all-around best back, running hard and catching passes out of the backfield.
Speaking of running hard, rookie Tyler Allgeier was as advertised in that regard and also held a role in the passing game, once again working with the first two teams.
The biggest difference among running backs was the emergence of Caleb Huntley, who saw first-team reps and at times was first through drills after working primarily with the third and fourth teams the day before.
Cordarrelle Patterson has been doing Cordarrelle Patterson things at camp, and physically looks ready to carry a larger workload than last season. His workload is being limited by the staff in order to keep him fresh and humming down the season's stretch.
Qadree Ollison, who was the fourth running back on day one, continued seeing reps with the second team throughout Thursday's practice. Avery Williams, who's likely to make the roster as the team's return specialist, has been working with the third and fourth teams.
LONDON HAS STRONG DAY
After a relatively quiet first day, Drake London responded in a big way Thursday. He beat Falcons All-Pro corner A.J. Terrell multiple times, including connecting with Mariota on a deep ball on the sideline.
London has made a positive early impression on Falcons star defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. “You can see why he was the first receiver taken in 2022,” Jarrett said after practice. “He’s definitely been making plays in practice."
London, who turned 21 earlier this week, is in line to start Week 1 for the Falcons on the outside. He'll be a big target for Mariota, along with receiver Bryan Edwards and tight end Kyle Pitts, both of whom have been making plays early in camp.
The Falcons' offense is off to a strong start in training camp. The weapons Atlanta needed to have step up are doing so thus far, but the team will be keen on seeing the day-to-day developments of the offensive line battle, which is sure to continue throughout camp.
