Why the Falcons could surprise in 2022
By: Jake Rajala
The Atlanta Falcons are truly more complex than the INFJ personality type. The Falcons brought back Cordarrelle Patterson and then traded away their beloved QB Matt Ryan. I believe the Falcons would have preferred to keep Ryan after whiffing on the Deshaun Watson trade, but they will have to steer the ship forward without their long-time QB.
The Falcons moved swiftly to replace Ryan by signing Marcus Mariota. I believe the Falcons are “slowly retooling” their squad with Mariota at QB. I don’t expect the Falcons to have a fire-sale and they should still hold their heads high in 2022. With that said, here are a few reasons why I believe they are underrated right now.
- Terrific CB tandem
I love the signing of Casey Hayward and the Falcons new-look CB group. A.J. Terrell and Hayward (who isn’t washed up) are arguably a Top 5 CB tandem and it will pay massive dividends.
The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots really leaned on their secondaries to win their most recent Super Bowl trophies. It’s clear that a terrific CB duo can really carry a team. It’s really beneficial to the Falcons that they have a potent CB duo in the NFC South, where they play Tom Brady and the Saints offense twice a season each.
- The style of Marcus Mariota
Matt Ryan really has a higher ceiling than Marcus Mariota as a pocket passer, but it doesn’t mean he would be a significantly better fit than Mariota in the Falcons average offensive unit. Ryan clearly wasn’t a rockstar last season (3,968 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns) in 2020.
Mariota might be able to be an upgrade over the 2021 version of Ryan, as he can help his offense slowly decompose opponents. The NFL world witnessed Josh Allen really run over defenders last season and help the Bills have the fifth time of possession. Mariota and Patterson could be a nuisance against teams like the Saints (who have really struggled against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles) and the QB-RB duo could also help their defense get more rest on the sidelines.
- The rise of Kyle Pitts
The Falcons young TE Kyle Pitts had one of the best rookie seasons for a TE in a long time. It’s clear that Pitts will look to build off a 1,000+ yard season in 2021 (second rookie TE to ever have 1,000+ yards in a season) and he should be a more popular target with Calvin Ridley officially out for the 2022 season. Pitts is only 21 years old and he will be a lethal weapon for Mariota and potentially a new QB for many years to come.
