ARTHUR SMITH

From 4-4 to 5-10, the Atlanta Falcons have collapsed in the second half of a season that was seen as a rebuilding year from the start. “Ultimately, it’s about winning, but you can look at a lot of progress being made,” Smith said after Saturday’s 17-9 loss at Baltimore. When the Falcons bring a four-game losing streak into a likely half-full Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face Arizona on Sunday, they will do so knowing they haven’t had a winning record at any point since the end of the 2017 season.

The New Orleans Saints remained still in the hunt for the NFC South title on Sunday with a three-point victory against the Atlanta Falcons at home.

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees was put onto a backboard and carted off the field after being in a pregame collision on Sunday.

Marcus Mariota is scheduled to have surgery on his knee, which will put the Atlanta Falcons quarterback on injured reserve, head coach Arthur Smith said.

Mariota will undergo knee surgery and be placed on Injured Reserve, Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday. Smith mentioned that possibility Monday, telling reporters Mariota might be placed on Injured Reserve with a knee injury. #Falcons QB Marcus Mariota is sent to have knee surgery next week and he'll go on IR today, coach Arthur Smith said. Marcus Mariota faces uncertain future with Falcons after benchingThe surgery could mark the end of Mariota's run with the Falcons. In 13 games with the Falcons, Mariota completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

The Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday released running back Damien Williams, the veteran who never returned after a rib injury in his first game with the team. The release of Williams came one day after coach Arthur Smith announced rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder will start in Sunday's game at New Orleans. Marcus Mariota has been benched, leaving his status for the remainder of the season uncertain.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota has left the team with no indication of "when or if" he will return, according to The Athletic's Josh Kendall. That day, Smith also informed the press that Mariota wasn’t in the building that day because his wife went into labor with their first child. According to The Athletic, Smith informed Mariota that Ridder would be starting at quarterback on Thursday morning. Friday, the Falcons learned that Mariota planned to step away from the team. Smith told The Athletic that the Falcons believe the offense “can operate at full capacity” with him in the game.

The Atlanta Falcons officially made a quarterback switch. Third-round rookie Desmond Ridder will replace Marcus Mariota as the starting quarterback for the Falcons' Week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Arthur Smith announced Monday. Falcons HC Arthur Smith officially announcing Desmond Ridder as the team’s new starting QB. His passing yards, passing touchdowns and competition percentage all rank in the bottom half of the league, while his nine interceptions are tied for seventh. Ridder might not save the Falcons' season, but starting him at least gives Atlanta a glimpse of his potential while the organization evaluates the roster before the 2023 offseason.

"There will be changes made. We've got to look at everything," Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said after Sunday's loss. Could QB Desmond Ridder replace Marcus Mariota?

Kyle Pitts' season has come to an end much earlier than he wanted it to. The Atlanta Falcons tight end had knee surgery on Tuesday and has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022 season. Head coach Arthur Smith made the announcement on Wednesday, and Pitts posted a picture of his bandaged leg on Instagram the night before. And in those 10 games, he had more than 30 receiving yards just three times. Mariota doesn't have Ryan's arm so the Falcons have been passing less, leading to fewer opportunities for Pitts.

The Atlanta Falcons are 5-7 and seemingly just began rebuilding. But they're within striking distance of the NFC South lead and trying to make a push.

The Atlanta Falcons have placed star tight end Kyle Pitts on the injured reserve, forcing him to miss at least the next four games due to a MCL injury.

Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson topped Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington with his ninth kickoff return for a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bars.

Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff 103 yards to become the NFL career leader with nine touchdowns.

A vast majority of the quarterback changes made in the offseason have not worked out for NFL contenders looking to stabilize the position and win right away.

For all the talk of how the NFL has become a passing league, the run game is having a bit of a renaissance in 2022.

If not for Brandin Cooks, we'd have had at least seven fantasy assets in play to kick off Week 9. [Watch Thursday Night Football on Prime Video: Sign up for a 30-day free trial]Atlanta and Carolina are as condensed as offenses come. The Falcons are 31st in yards per drive and allowed teams to run the third-most plays in their red zone. Allgeier leading the team in rushing yards should keep him as a fan favorite for tonight. Rostering Huntley would give you access to the Falcons’ rushing attack and work as a solid leverage option against the popular plays for tonight’s game.

Mariota has allowed the Falcons to add an extra ballcarrier into their run game. Falcons running back Caleb Huntley spoke glowingly on the impact that Mariota has had on the Falcons’ ability to run the ball in an interview with Yahoo Sports. When teams come out with two safeties deep to help protect themselves against Pitts and London, the Falcons are running it. Their run game is as diverse as they come with a healthy mix of zone and gap running schemes. Allgeier, like the rest of the Falcons offense, is a bruising running back that’s helped shoulder the load with Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve.

For Marcus Mariota, the loss of confidence was the biggest blow.

Jarrett was flagged for roughing the passer after what many observed to be a typical sack late in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's 21-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The Falcons were stunned when referee Jerome Boger threw his flag. "That was not roughing the passer," tweeted Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, reflecting reactions from many around the sport. Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles didn't think Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, was getting special treatment on the play. “Anything close, which we understand going into the ball game, they’re going to call it.”The Falcons saw it differently.

Grady Jarrett was flagged for roughing the passer after what many observed to be a typical sack of Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter of the Atlanta Falcons' 21-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Atlanta Falcons must find a new starting running back after placing Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve on Monday with a knee injury. Coach Arthur Smith said Patterson had a minor knee procedure. Patterson will miss at least four games, leaving rookie Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley as the top healthy running backs for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay.

The Falcons are unlikely to be a good team overall this year. He handled 31% of the team air yards and the results were solid too, with 74 yards on five catches. So maybe we can get some air yards going CeeDee Lamb's direction. If we get that version of Barkley for 17 games he will join the Tier 1 of fantasy running backs with ease. He's going to look like a huge Round 2 reach — on several of my teams, by the way — if that doesn't change.

Drake London spent the past three seasons tearing up college defenses for USC, so football fans in his native Southern California weren't surprised when the big receiver got off to a strong NFL start with the Atlanta Falcons. The Los Angeles Rams fans in that SoCal contingent are hoping their Super Bowl champions can come up with ways to slow down London for just one week when the Falcons visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday for a meeting of teams hoping to avoid 0-2 starts. London caught 160 passes for 2,153 yards and 16 touchdowns in 27 games at USC before the Falcons made him the eighth overall draft pick last spring.

Wil Lutz kicked a 51-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining to cap a stunning fourth-quarter comeback by the New Orleans Saints.

Desmond Ridder's drive to be first begins with an early start at his Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp apartment. “I told Desmond, ‘Don’t be so loud in the morning,'" FitzPatrick said after Saturday's session. Ridder, the Falcons' third-round pick from Cincinnati and the second quarterback selected in last month's NFL draft, says he knows no other way.

Devin Singletary scored two touchdowns rushing in the second half to make up for Josh Allen’s sloppiness and the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills rallied to clinch their third consecutive playoff berth with a 29-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Ridley says he needs to take some time away from the game to focus on his own mental well-being.

Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley has missed his second game of the season and says he's dealing with mental health issues.

Matt Ryan passed for 336 yards and Younghoe Koo made a 36-yard field goal as time expired to give the Atlanta Falcons a 30-28 win over the Miami Dolphins.

It spoiled a day when the Giants retired the jersey of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and added his name to the Ring of Honor at MetLife Stadium. It was Barkley's first TD since the final game of the 2019 season. A defensive stop deep in New York territory gave the Falcons the ball at the Giants. MANNING HONOREDThe Giants retired the No. Manning retired after the 2019 season.

Younghoe Koo kicked a 40-yard field goal on the final play and the Atlanta Falcons beat the New York Giants 17-14 to give coach Arthur Smith his first NFL win Sunday.

Matt Ryan has watched Joe Montana, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady switch teams, so he knows there’s a possibility he won’t finish his career with the Atlanta Falcons.

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons are looking to regroup after being held to two field goals in their 32-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to open the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs started slowly on Sunday but did more of what they’ve done quite a bit over the past few years — win.

Don't expect the New Orleans Saints to cede bragging rights in the NFC South too easily.

Titans Falcons Football Tennessee Titans quarterback Logan Woodside (5) runs out of the p[ocket under the pressure of the Atlanta Falcons during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (John Bazemore)ATLANTA — (AP) — Logan Woodside and Matt Barkley each threw touchdown passes to open Tennessee's backup quarterback competition and the Titans beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-3 on Friday night in the preseason opener for both teams. The Titans held Atlanta to 139 yards and six first downs in the debut for Falcons coach Arthur Smith, Tennessee's former offensive coordinator. Woodside started and threw a 13-yard scoring pass to Cameron Batson in the second quarter. Barkley had third-down completions of 14 and 15 yards to Mason Kinsey on a field goal drive early in the second half.

Logan Woodside and Matt Barkley each threw touchdown passes to open Tennessee’s backup quarterback competition and the Titans beat the Atlanta Falcons 23-3 in each team’s preseason opener.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — (AP) — Matt Ryan feels like the last man standing with the Atlanta Falcons, not that it’s a bad thing. Ryan has nobody left from his rookie year of 2008 still with the team. “He’s probably impacted my career more than anybody I’ve played with, so I love him,” Ryan said. 4 overall pick, the Falcons took tight end Kyle Pitts out of Florida to complement Ryan and the offense. The lockers that we have, they’re not owned, they’re rented and you’ve got to pay rent every day.

Matt Ryan feels like the last man standing with the Atlanta Falcons, not that it’s a bad thing.

From players getting COVID-19 vaccinations to relaxed coronavirus protocols to lineup issues, particularly at quarterback, the NFL faces a multitude of questions as training camps open.

Aaron Rodgers was a no-show and Tom Brady was full-go.

“I don’t worry about players I never coached,” Smith said following Tuesday's opening day of mandatory minicamp. Jones, 32, left as the Falcons' all-time leader in catches and receiving yards. Smith, the former Titans offensive coordinator, recognized that a player with Jones' Hall of Fame credentials merits a sendoff with compliments. Jones' production had been impressive and consistent, with six straight seasons with more than 1,300 yards receiving, before last season. The Falcons’ first preseason game is against Jones and the Titans on Aug. 12 in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons have launched their mandatory minicamp.

Wizards Hawks Basketball Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, Julio Jones, talks with rapper 2 Chainz during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Atlanta. Rookie coach Arthur Smith was tight-lipped about the Falcons' options, but insisted that he doesn’t begrudge Jones for speaking his mind. “We encourage our players to speak for themselves,” Smith said during an interview session dominated by questions about Jones' future. Asked about Jones' choice of attire, Smith called it “irrelevant.”“You can wear whatever you want," the coach said. Hopkins was at it again on Monday, posting a picture on Instagram of himself with Jones, receiver A.J.

The Atlanta Falcons began their offseason training program without longtime star receiver Julio Jones, who apparently has no intention of returning to a rebuilding team that is still struggling to get under the salary cap.

Matt Ryan acknowledges his age has many wondering how long he’ll continue to lead the Atlanta Falcons offense.

FILE - Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passes against LSU during the second half of a NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans, in this Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence worked out for several NFL personnel including his expected future pro coach, Urban Meyer of the Jacksonville Jaguars. While 16 NFL teams attended, the 6-foot-6 Lawrence with the cannon arm and flowing air doesn't figure to get past the Jaguars. Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions while missing two games after testing positive for COVID-19 in October. He said he wanted to perform for NFL teams to show he's no different than anyone else applying for a job.

– Tyreek Hill was thrilled to hear that his first wide receivers coach, David Culley, was going to be an NFL head coach. After interviewing for six openings, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy ultimately was passed over during the annual coaching carousel. That became official when the Houston Texans hired Culley, the long-time Andy Reid assistant who had been the assistant head coach in Baltimore. “I mean, I'm not a GM or anything but I will say, Coach Bieniemy has helped me a lot,” Hill said Thursday, after the Chiefs finished their first real practice for the Super Bowl. He wants to be a head coach.

This photo provided by the New Orleans Saints shows Terry Fonetenot in an undated photo. The Atlanta Falcons named Terry Fontenot the teams general manager, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. The 40-year-old Fontenot becomes Atlantas first Black general manager after spending 18 seasons with division rival New Orleans. Fontenot helped build a consistent winner as the Saints’ vice president and assistant general manager in charge of pro personnel. The Falcons fired general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn following a 0-5 start this season, which led to a 4-12 finish, Atlanta's third consecutive losing season.

FILE - Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith instructs his players during NFL football training camp in Nashville, Tenn., in this Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, file photo. The New York Jets interviewed Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, for their head coaching vacancy. Atlanta agreed to terms with Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on Friday to become the team's head coach. Smith has served on Tennessee's staff for 10 seasons, including two as offensive coordinator. He also was an offensive assistant/quality control coach (2012), offensive line/tight ends assistant (2013) and assistant tight ends coach (2014-15).