Falcons Coach Explains Difference Between Matt Ryan & Marcus Mariota

The team is transitioning to a new quarterback after 14 seasons.

The Atlanta Falcons are undergoing a major transition during the 2022 season.

After 14 years with Matt Ryan under center, the team is now shifting to Marcus Mariota, who played for the Las Vegas Raiders the past two seasons.

Before his time in Las Vegas, Mariota played five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, who drafted him No. 2 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. Part of the Titans' brass that drafted him was current Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.

Smith played a key role in bringing Mariota to Atlanta, and he's looking for the opportunity to revive his career in a Falcons jersey.

While Ryan was an established veteran, Mariota has a chip on his shoulder with something to prove. He also has rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder waiting in the wings and providing pressure to perform.

However, even with Ridder on the sidelines, the team is learning how to change from Ryan's style to Mariota's.

“Each guy is kind of different, but you have to figure out how each guy does it,” Falcons QB coach Charles London said. “Matt had his way of getting people’s attention, and Marcus has his own way of doing it. I think each guy has got to be himself, got to be authentic, has to be genuine, but Marcus has that about him where guys will follow him.”

Mariota is leading a relatively young offense with rookie wide receiver Drake London and second-year tight end Kyle Pitts as his starring pass-catchers, so having that leadership will be crucial for the Falcons signal-caller.

While the jury's still out on whether playing Mariota will lead to success, hearing the promising words from the coaches only helps Mariota and the Falcons move forward.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.