NFL quarterback Marcus Mariota fabricated a momentous interception on Sunday. In doing so, he not only deprived the Atlanta Falcons of the opportunity to turn the 16:19 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He could have promoted himself to the substitutes’ bench at the same time.
The Falcons’ head coach, Arthur Smith, promised an all-encompassing analysis and consequences for every employee after the defeat: “It’s a unique time. We’re going into bye week right away. We’re evaluating everything. Every job is open.”
Thus, for the first time this season, the weak Mariota is up for grabs. “As I said, everything is on the table,” Smith underlined the seriousness of the situation. “We still have a quarter of the season left. We’ll get together tomorrow and speak as staff. Like I said, every option is on the table.”
Atlanta is 5-8 after losing to the Steelers. With neither team in the NFC South having more than five wins, the NFL playoffs are still in. However, the Falcons will need four wins in the remaining four games for this.
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Smith’s words will resonate with most Falcons supporters. In the NFL, only very few experts understood why Mariota was firmly in the saddle for so long.
Finally, the Georgia team has a talented backup. Desmond Ridder hasn’t been more since he was picked by Atlanta in 74th place in this year’s draft. However, the bye-week would give the newcomer some time to fully internalize the game plan and bring a breath of fresh air to the offense.
With Mariota, the Falcons’ throwing game in particular has suffered. For example, the 29-year-old only completed 13 of his 24 passes for 167 yards against the Steelers. A touchdown also faces the catastrophic interception just under 30 seconds before the end of the game.