CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Arthur Smith knew the question was coming. And as he walked to the podium to face the media after a 25-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, the question came swiftly.
"Arthur, did you consider going with Desmond Ridder at any point tonight?"
His answer?
"No."
In the loss, Marcus Mariota was 19-of-30 through the air for 186 passing yards. He threw one interception and two touchdowns. He was also sacked five times for a loss of 33 yards. It was an offensive performance that started out slow and never fully recovered in the rain-soaked field at Bank of America Stadium.
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It was a game that, in the national spotlight and on prime time television via the Thursday Night Football slot, the Falcons offense sputtered.
After the game, Smith came to his quarterback's defense.
Carolina won the line of scrimmage, Smith said. The Falcons defense has to stop the run better, he added. The offense has to protect better, Smith continued.
Essentially?
"A lot more goes into quarterback play than just stats."
And later: "You can make it about the quarterback, but what about the team?"
The whole team, Smith said, has to play better. Never once did Smith single out Mariota's performance in the loss.
When Mariota came to the podium after Smith, though, he looked inward.
"It starts with me," Mariota said.
And later: "I was playing a little bit outside of myself trying to make a play too many times and it hurt our team."
He said he was trying too hard to make a spark happen for an offense that, at times, felt spark-less. It's in those moments, when Mariota is "playing outside" himself, that he often gets himself in trouble. He knows that, and he owned up to that postgame, saying he was trying to force too much on Thursday night.
For what it's worth, though, other offensive players wouldn't let Mariota take the fall for the loss. Just like their head coach, there wasn't a point of the finger to quarterback play.
"We need to be better for the team, better for Marcus, better for each other as a unit," Chris Lindstrom said after the game.
Lindstrom pointed to the Falcons slow start, particularly one that saw Carolina take the run away. The Falcons rushed for only 33 yards in the first half, not at all close to the clip this offense has become known for.
From the outside looking in, it seemed that Carolina made a point to stop the Falcons rushing attack early. It looked as though the defense wanted the Falcons to try to beat them through the air. Smith said that wasn't necessarily the case, that Carolina didn't change up their game plan from the last time they played them to Thursday night.
Mariota and Lindstrom, though, said there were some variations in what Carolina was showing them defensively. It was extrapolated by the Falcons inability to do much about it.
"I thought they started loading up the box," Mariota said. "Unfortunately, when you're not making any plays in the passing game, they can do that. They can get you in third-and-long and it's tough to convert those. We have to do a better job of staying in third-and-manageable, doing a better job on first and second down, especially throwing the football that way we can keep things going."
From Lindstrom's perspective, the slow start almost went deeper than that.
"We obviously need to start better, and it's not so much the yards but you can just feel that it wasn't right," he said. "… You could just tell that something wasn't right, something wasn't clicking. We were talking through it, working through it, trying to make adjustments."
And the Falcons did eventually make those adjustments. By the fourth quarter, though, those adjustments just felt a little too late.
In the end, the Falcons did come back to make it a one-score game in the final minutes. For that reason, Smith said he wasn't planning to make a change at quarterback during the flow of the game on Thursday night. Regardless of what outside perspective is, no one from the team put the blame on Mariota's shoulders.
"In a lot of different ways, in a lot of different phases we've gotta get better," Smith said.
Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers during Week 10.
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Timmy Horne #93 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 leads the huddle during warmups before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier #25 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier #25 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo #7 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Caleb Huntley #42 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12 poses for a photo during warmups before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson #84 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver #26 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
A detail of The Atlanta Falcons helmet before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie #47 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson #84 in the huddle before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
The Atlanta Falcons prepare to warm up before facing the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons huddle in the tunnel before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons huddle in the tunnel before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 leads the huddle during warmups before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson #84 runs out of the tunnel before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter #9 runs out of the tunnel before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder #4 warms up before facing the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker Mykal Walker #3 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith poses for a photo before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd #14 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 warms up before facing the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts #8 warms up before facing the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham #95 makes a block during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson #84 runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson #84 carries the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd #14 reacts after a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd #14 celebrates after making a catch against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter #9 attempts to block the ball against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Jaylinn Hawkins #32 and safety Richie Grant #27 celebrate after a big play against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 passes the ball to Atlanta Falcons running back Caleb Huntley #42 during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 throws the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Caleb Huntley #42 carries the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd #14 carries the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier #25 carries the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons huddle during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 runs with the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker Mykal Walker #3 reacts before a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5, Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Drew Dalman #67 and Atlanta Falcons running back Avery Williams #35 celebrate after a catch during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier #25 runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Avery Williams #35 runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
The Atlanta Falcons line up against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Avery Williams #35 carries the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 carries the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 throws a pass to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12 and long snapper Liam McCullough #48 celebrate after a big play against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12 celebrates after a big play against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons huddle before a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier #25 runs with the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Ford #28 lines up for a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 lines up against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Jake Matthews #70 and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Ford #28 line up before a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Caleb Huntley #42 carries the ball for a first down during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons running back Caleb Huntley #42 runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London #5 reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford #37 reacts after a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts #8 catches the ball during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone #51 makes a sack during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker Rashaan Evans #54 makes a tackle during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12 catches the ball for a touchdown during the second half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge #12 reacts after scoring a touchdown in the second half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant #27 and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Darren Hall #34 react after a play during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 prepares to throw a pass during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo #7 shakes hands with the kicker of the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Shanna Lockwood/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota #1 hugs the Carolina Panthers quarterback after the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Rashad Fenton #21 and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Damiere Byrd #14 pose for a photo with Carolina Panthers players after the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Doug DeFelice/Atlanta Falcons)
Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons players pray together after the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, November 10, 2022. (Photo by Mitchell Martin/Atlanta Falcons)
