4 Things the Falcons learned from Mariota’s performance in week one

4. Marcus Mariota wasn’t perfect but extremely impressive in his Atlanta debut

Aside from the late fumble that helped turn the tide of the game, it is hard to find much fault with Marcus Mariota’s Falcons debut.  It is important to remember that this is the first time that Mariota has started the season as the starting quarterback in three years. He received very limited snaps with the Raiders during his time with Derek Carr and is going to need time for his game to catch back up to speed.

In his first game back Mariota finished with 215-passing yards and 72-rushing yards and a touchdown in a game that was a great start to his Atlanta career. There wasn’t anything in this game that will have Atlanta fans calling for rookie Desmond Ridder which means Mariota did his job in week one.

What stood out was Mariota’s quick decision-making and willingness to use his legs to get outside the pocket and make plays or help his receivers get open.  Mariota has plenty to work on but Atlanta fans have some solace to take in Mariota’s week one performance showing he will give the team a chance to win this year against superior rosters.