2021 marked the end of an era in the ATL, as the franchise’s all time leading passer seems to have played his final game in a falcons uniform. Now heading into their first season since 2007 without Matt Ryan, second year head coach Arthur Smith now must establish a new identity for this team going forward. A rebuild is never easy, and losing your best offensive weapon to a year long gambling suspension sure doesn’t help. This team hasn’t been given a chance by the odds makers entering the season, with the worst odds in the NFC to win the conference. Will vet QB Marcus Mariota be able to take advantage of his second (and perhaps final) opportunity to be a starter in this league, or are the dirty birds looking at more disappointment in 2022?