"Marcus Mariota was a stopgap with some fun moments and a lot of head-scratching turnovers and decisions. Desmond Ridder was a would-be franchise quarterback who could not stop turning the ball over as a starter, and Taylor Heinicke was no better as his backup. The 2024 signing of Kirk Cousins and drafting of Michael Penix Jr. was supposed to fix this very real flaw, but the past two years have instead been injuries and mediocre play sandwiched around stretches of real brilliance."
"Between the two of them, Penix and Cousins threw for 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions along with over 3,600 yards; if you created a Micirk Penusins (sorry) and made them a single entity, they would have ranked 21st in touchdowns, 16th in interceptions, and 12th in yardage on the year. That's not awful, but it certainly isn't great, and the Falcons invested enough capital and hope in the position that great is what they were shooting for."
Quarterback play has defined the Atlanta Falcons' decline since Matt Ryan's departure, with multiple failed attempts to replace him. Marcus Mariota provided some fun moments but also frequent turnovers and questionable decisions. Desmond Ridder struggled as a starter with persistent turnover issues, and Taylor Heinicke offered no meaningful improvement as a backup. The 2024 additions of Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. promised resolution but were mired by injuries, uneven performance, and flashes of brilliance. The 2025 8-9 finish led to the firing of Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot, as aggregate quarterback production fell short of expectations.
Read at The Falcoholic
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