Falcons to 'Roll Out' New Offense with QB Marcus Mariota?

The Atlanta Falcons will look very different on offense this season.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 20, 2022

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.

Published Jul 20, 2022

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.