Kyle Pitts was supposed to be the NFL’s next great tight end and a difference maker. How could anyone think otherwise after seeing Marcus Mariota complete this 52-yard gem in the preseason? That turned out to be the peak for the man who has become the most baffling fantasy football player of 2022.
Let’s be fair to Pitts. This isn’t his fault. Or at least all his fault. Nor is it hard to blame Marcus Mariota for being…well…Marcus Mariota. The real issue here is the Atlanta Falcons organization and to a lesser extent Arthur Smith not understanding where they are in a rebuild.
The team is awful. Don’t let that 3-4 record fool you. This is a franchise on the slow boat to nowhere. Grinding out ugly wins against mediocre teams is the exact opposite of what those in charge should be doing. Not only is it harming their chances of landing a top quarterback in the NFL Draft, but this also creates a false sense of positivity. Fans are being sold on the idea Atlanta is close to being a contender.
They most certainly are not. Not even in the ballpark. This brings us back to the most baffling fantasy football player of 2022, Kyle Pitts. Let’s look at the Falcons’ week seven loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. At one point in the first half, they were trailing 28-7 and never looked truly competitive over the 60 minutes.
Ideal time for some garbage time fantasy football points, right? Wrong. Smith stayed committed to the run and Mariota finished with an 8/13 passing line. That’s right, Atlanta only attempted 13 passes in a blowout loss.
The quarterback hasn’t completed more than 20 passes in any game this season and has only attempted more than 20 throws on three occasions. In modern football, that is freaking crazy. It has also made Pitts completely unusable in fantasy football. Even at tight end where there aren’t ten startable players during any given week.
This is a totally baffling situation. It’s not like Mariota is all that worse than Matt Ryan was in 2021. Nor would it hurt the Falcons to air the ball out a little more. Seriously, they drafted Pitts and Drake London in the first round of back-to-back drafts but are now allergic to passing. Why even bother taking either if you think Tyler Allgeier runs are a better option?
Instead, Atlanta sits in football purgatory and Pitts has fewer catches on the season than Kylen Granson. What an absolute waste of a guy who should be a fantasy football difference maker.
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