How 'positionless football' could help Falcons, second-year QB surprise this season

The Atlanta Falcons face a significant question at quarterback since presumptive starter Desmond Ridder only played in four games last season. Yet a strong supporting cast on offense will help.

"Now I can't tell you if you Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder will be good enough to run an efficient offense," wrote NBC Sports Peter King. "But I will guarantee this: There will not be a more diverse, harder-to-defend offense in the NFC this year than coach Arthur Smith's team. Postionless football is the story here."

In the first round of the past three NFL Drafts, the Falcons stockpiled their offense with tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. They will help Smith run a multifaceted system because he can plug and play them in various spots.

"It's being able to know the offense," Pitts recently said, via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "Skill-wise, not just one specific position, it's knowing it by concept and knowing everything so that you can play any role."

Also, it will give the second-year QB more confidence, as Ridder can rely on several weapons and knows the unpredictability will thwart defenses.

"You see fear, communication, stress, confusion," Ridder said of opposing defenses, per Breer. "And that's everything we want from a quarterback and an offensive standpoint." 

If Ridder meshes with the offense and develops into a solid starting QB, the Falcons could win their first NFC South title since 2016. It's a realistic goal since all four teams within the division finished with a losing record last season. Plus, Atlanta has the easiest schedule in the NFL this season, per NFL research.