Expect to see a run heavy Atlanta Falcons offense

The Atlanta Falcons have made one of their biggest moves over the past week in trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third-round pick.

Following the trade, Atlanta signed quarterback Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal. With that signing, it is obvious what Arthur Smith wants to prioritize with this offense.

Arthur Smith wants the Falcons to be a run-heavy team

The Falcons have struggled to run the ball with any consistency ever since Kyle Shanahan left for the San Francisco 49ers. Shanahan was able to establish a dominant run game with the likes of Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman.

Now, the new head coach, Arthur Smith wants to get back to the running game, but this time in a much different way than Shanahan.

Presumptive starter, Marcus Mariota, does one thing very well—scramble and run the ball.

He is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback, he can pass the ball but he has extreme talent as a running quarterback.

The Falcons also signed Damien Williams as well as resigned last year’s star, Cordarrelle Patterson. Those two will split time as the read-option runningback.

Arthur Smith, obviously, loves running quarterbacks, much like he had in Tennessee with Ryan Tannehill. This is why he targetted Marcus Mariota following the trade of Matt Ryan.

Marcus will bring the ability to run read-option plays, something the Falcons have not benefitted from having since the Michael Vick era.

It will help to cover up the concerns on the offensive line as it relies more on deception than blocking upfront. In addition to this, the Falcons front office has not exactly made it a priority to sign any wide receivers during free agency, further eluding to the idea of the Falcons being run-heavy.

We will have to see how much the Falcons’ running game does improve with this new dimension added. You can expect to see an uptick in rushes per game, as it is crystal clear that Arthur Smith wants to lead a run-heavy offense like he did with Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry with the Titans.