Falcons' Marcus Mariota Struggles vs. Steelers; QB Change Coming?

With the Atlanta Falcons losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, could a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win see the Falcons make a change at quarterback?

Questions surrounding Marcus Mariota and the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback situation will be rampant coming into the bye week after a 19-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As they did a week ago, the Falcons faltered. A strong defensive performance gave the team every chance to get back into the game after falling behind 16-6 in the first half, but the offense couldn't deliver.

The Falcons offense was disappointing right until the end, when they found themselves in the fourth quarter before another interception ended any hope of a comeback. 

It is a constant criticism of Mariota from detractors; without the running game, he cannot lead the Falcons to a win. 

The ground game is the lifeblood of the offense; after all, it is what they excel at. Yet, in a "passing league," if the offense is not balanced at the very least, it will be hard to succeed. 

Despite throwing for over 200 yards in only three games, he has kept the Falcons in the playoff conversation. That is a big reason Atlanta has stuck by him, according to head coach Arthur Smith. 

In the past, Smith thought the talk of a quarterback change was "comical." However, that comment came after the 25-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers, another game where the ground game struggled while Mariota's performance was far from convincing.  

At that point, the Falcons had just surrendered the lead in the division to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Now, riding a two-game losing streak, waiting on the result of the Buccaneers game Monday, one could argue with a Bucs win, allowing rookie Desmond Ridder to see time could do more good than bad.

---

Get your HOTlanta Falcons game tickets from SI Tickets ... here!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Falcons? Click Here.

Follow Falcon Report on Twitter.

Want even more Atlanta Falcons news? Check out the Si.com team page here