'Shame on You!': Falcons Coach, Players Sound Off on Marcus Mariota Critics

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota has struggled of late, drawing the brunt of the blow from fans on social media - but his teammates and coaches don't agree with the message.

Quarterback is one of the most talked about positions in professional sports, receiving a lion's share of the credit for wins and sometimes an even bigger portion for losses.

As the Atlanta Falcons have dropped three of their last four games, much of the blame has fallen on quarterback Marcus Mariota's shoulders.

In those four contests, Mariota's gone 59 of 94 (62.7 completion percentage) for 692 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 141 yards on 20 rush attempts.

Mariota's struggles perhaps reached new heights in Atlanta's 22-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers last Thursday, as he was admittedly pressing and forcing passes into windows that simply weren't there. He was making mistakes that a 29-year-old, eighth-year veteran isn't expected to make - and has heard about it from the outside.

With fans and national media alike clamoring for rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder, public support for Mariota has reached a new low - but his teammates can't relate, starting with Atlanta's leading receiver, Drake London, who said he gets "defensive" over his signal caller.

"You can't really listen to the outside noise," London said. "I do get defensive over it, but at the end of the day, they're not in our shoes, they're not in our building, so they can't really tell what's going on for real - that goes for all fans pretty much. I just try to block all that noise out and try to keep a straightforward path."

Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who's created something of an idea surrounding his potential ownership of a burner account, echoed similar sentiments to London, declaring the NFL "the biggest reality show going" and marked social media criticism as simply a part of the job - though reading it is a big mistake.

"You know what you sign up for as a coach and a player," said Smith. "If you're dumb enough to look at social media, shame on you. We're in the biggest reality show going. It'll crush you. I get it, it's what sells, but that's a part of the job, and that's reality. If you're insecure or dumb enough to go down that rabbit hole, shame on you."

The only social media account under Mariota's name is that of his foundation, which is run by his wife. He doesn't get exposed to much of what's said but is well aware of how many fans feel.

It's not an uncommon situation for Mariota, who went through a similar phase at times during his stint as the Tennessee Titans' starting quarterback. A self-said "people pleaser," the criticism isn't something Mariota enjoys, but he's "no doubt" better equipped to handle it this time around.

"I just control what I can control," Mariota said. "I try to be the best version of my myself here for these guys and try to win games. What other people think, I have no control over or no say in that ... That's nature of the beast, especially at the position. People are entitled to their opinions, people can say what they want; at the end of the day, nothing that I can do can make those guys think differently, I've just got to play better."

Mariota's approach is genuine; he's a team-player who takes things day-to-day, something the rookie London said is one of the things he admires most about his quarterback.

"Mentality," said London on what he's learned from Mariota. "He's such a humble guy and the way he approaches every day is really cool to see and something I want to follow in as well."

London, 21, isn't alone in his assessment of Mariota's character. Veteran left tackle Jake Matthews, who's the NFL's active leader in consecutive games played, raved about the former Heisman Trophy winner's work habits.

"I got the utmost respect for him," Matthews asserted. "Just the way he carries himself and comes in, the way he treats his teammates and the way he works. He's a guy that'll never take a shortcut, someone you can trust. I still have all the confidence in the world in him, and he's done a lot of good things. We've all made mistakes - it's stuff we all need to improve."

One of the things Mariota's improved on the most is his connection with London. Coming from rival PAC-12 programs with Mariota an Oregon Duck and London a USC Trojan, the two quickly formed a strong relationship.

Better yet, as Mariota's gotten acclimated to the starting role after two and a half years on the sideline and London's grown accustomed to the NFL, their connection is only getting better.

"I think it's great," revealed London. "I think we're starting to build chemistry even better than what it was."

While Mariota's on-field performance has left something to be desired, he's a fantastic locker room presence who's highly respected by his teammates.

With the Falcons just one game out of both the NFC South lead and final wildcard spot, everything's still to play for - and Mariota, despite the growing calls for his job, is set to guide the way for Atlanta's young team, with internal support fully behind him.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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