Marcus Mariota struggled in the Atlanta Falcons' last game against the Carolina Panthers. But the coaching staff believes he can still lead the team to victory. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota has faced a ton of criticism following the team's 25-15 loss last week to the Carolina Panthers. But despite the noise, Mariota remains the starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. There are a number of reasons that Mariota has struggled, but the coaching staff still believes he has "elite traits" and gives the team the best chance to win.