Marcus Mariota named NFC Offensive Player of the Week
Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance during Sunday's 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Mariota opened the game with 13 straight completions and finished with 129 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero turnovers.
The former second overall pick added six carries for 50 rushing yards and a score on the ground to cap off Atlanta's Week 6 victory.
"We knew we had to be efficient, and Marcus certainly was," Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said after Sunday's game. "He made a lot of really good plays. Credit to our offensive line too. He was able to progress on a couple plays and made some really big throws for us. He made some huge plays with his legs too. It certainly helps us stay on track and efficient. Can't say enough good things about Marcus and how he is leading this football team."
The Falcons signed Mariota this offseason after trading away franchise star Matt Ryan. Mariota endured an up-and-down start to the season, but he was nearly flawless on Sunday.
Mariota engineered three touchdown drives. He capped the final scoring drive with a 7-yard touchdown to tight end Kyle Pitts. It was Pitts' first touchdown of the season and the second of his career.
"My goal was to be efficient throughout the day and give our guys an opportunity to make plays," Mariota said.
After six games as the starter, Mariota has the Falcons tied for first place in the NFC South with a 3-3 record.
Mariota is the second Falcon to take home a weekly award this season. Cordarrelle Patterson previously took home NFC Player of the Week honors in Week 3.