What should the Atlanta Falcons expect from Marcus Mariota?

If the Atlanta Falcons start the 2022 season with Marcus Mariota as their starting quarterback many fans are in for a rude awakening. Even at his best Mariota isn’t close to the passer Matt Ryan has been in his worst seasons. Mariota at his best is fun to watch, however, there is a reason the quarterback was benched for Ryan Tannehill as a member of the Titans.

There is a chance that Mariota grew as a quarterback during his time on the bench over the last three years with the Titans and Raiders, however, that seems like a long shot. The more likely scenario for Atlanta is they will get the same passer the Titans saw in Mariota’s second and third seasons in the league.

With a solid roster, Mariota can make your team a playoff contender and give you a chance at a first-round win. That is his ceiling with support and a solid roster, we saw this play out twice with the Titans. He was good enough to get them to the playoffs but never able to take that next step.

Mariota’s best season with the Titans came in year two when he had 3,426-passing yards, 26-passing touchdowns, 9-interceptions, and 346-rushing yards. Mariota is mobile but he isn’t looking to run after every snap. At his best, he uses his legs to get outside the pocket and get a better view of the field to make a play. This is a skill set that he will need in Atlanta considering the offensive line he will be lined up behind.

Fair expectations for Marcus Mariota in 2022 is a 3-4 win season with the quarterback surpassing 3,500-yards and 20-25-passing touchdowns. While these numbers are underwhelming it is accurate expectations when you consider the defense, offensive line, and a lack of weapons at the receiver position. Even with a great rookie class, Mariota is a mid-tier quarterback at his best who is being asked to elevate an objectively bad roster.

Fans need to be ready to accept that Mariota isn’t on the same level as Matt Ryan and won’t be able to elevate this team the same way Ryan has over the last decade and a half.  A good season from Mariota will simply be matching the numbers above and using his legs to make plays. His job is to be the bridge to Atlanta finding their quarterback of the future. Expecting anything else is unrealistic for a quarterback who has proven he isn’t a franchise guy.