FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone has been pleased with the play of quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder early in training camp.
He’s stressing for both of them to play within the offensive scheme.
“If you go searching for (deep passes), you’re probably going to force the ball,” Ragone said Friday. “When you let them naturally happen, the ball comes out on time, things come out in rhythm, then you get good quarterback play. If you’re pre-determined or you’re pressing -- unfortunately I’ve been around that as a player and a coach -- you’re not going to get great results.
“I felt like today, the first two days, those guys are playing within themselves and within the rhythm of the offense.”
Mariota and Ridder have been functioning well.
“What I’m seeing from the quarterbacks and the route runner’s perspective is are you where you are supposed to be as a receiver, and is that ball coming out on time?” Ragone said. “Regardless of who that person is running it or who it is throwing it, those are the evaluations. I think they’ve showed that early on in camp.”
