The Atlanta Falcons offense is slated to look a lot different in Week 15 of the NFL season than it has in weeks prior.
This new-look offense will be spear-headed by Desmond Ridder, who is taking over at quarterback for Marcus Mariota, a seven-year NFL veteran.
Although Ridder hasn’t played any snaps in the NFL, there is growing optimism that he will energize a team that has experienced lackluster success in 2022.
With the Falcons switch to rookie QB Desmond Ridder, expect the passing game to open up, obviously the QB run game will go away some. Atlanta might as well see what they have in Ridder and see if he can generate some sort of spark on offense.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 8, 2022
NFL analyst James Palmer, among many others, is predicting a major shift in the Falcons’ offense.
When Mariota was under center, he had 85 designed rushing plays, good for 438 yards, and four touchdowns.
He had just 300 passing attempts, the second-lowest mark in the NFL.
It is time for a change in that philosophy, especially when the Falcons have drafted elite pass catchers in the past two NFL drafts in Kyle Pitts and Drake London.
What Can Ridder Provide For This Offense?
We only have Ridder’s college stats to look at when understanding what his role in the Falcons’ offense could be.
However, when taking a look at the numbers that Ridder was able to achieve, at least at the collegiate level, they’re certainly promising.
While at the University of Cincinnati, Ridder averaged 27.64 pass attempts per game, a full four more attempts per game than Mariota had so far this season.
If the Falcons can utilize Ridder to his strengths, which is throwing, and throwing a lot, they may be able to find the success that they were unable to realize with Mariota at the helm.
NEXT: NFL Analyst Applauds How The Falcons Handled Desmond Ridder