Falcons fans know their new quarterback, Marcus Mariota, can win in Atlanta.

They saw him do it with their own eyes.

Three games into the 2019 season, Jeff Ulbrich, who was then the Falcons linebackers coach, was asked about the quarterback of their next opponent, the Tennessee Titans.

“Mariota is a guy that has been extremely effective over the years moving the sticks,” said Ulbrich, the former University of Hawaii star who is now the New York Jets defensive coordinator. “Whether if he’s getting first downs with his arms or his legs. They typically win the time of possession because of him.”

Mariota and his teammates won the game, too, on the day that quote appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

On Sept. 29, 2019, Mariota completed 18 of 27 passes for 227 yards and three first-half touchdowns in a 24-10 victory at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

He rushed for just 22 yards on three carries, but also avoided being sacked. He took care of the ball, too, and four games into the season Mariota had yet to throw an interception.

Matt Ryan — who was then three years past his MVP season when Atlanta went to the Super Bowl — passed for 170 more yards than Mariota in that game, but on nearly twice as many attempts. And none of his 53 passes resulted in a Falcons touchdown.

At 2-2, Tennessee was tied for first place in the AFC South. In his fifth season after the Titans took him with the second pick in the 2015 draft, it was Mariota’s 29th win as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

He hasn’t had one since.

It didn’t provide him much equity following a subpar 2018 season. After that win came consecutive losses and Mariota was benched for Ryan Tannehill.

It was the last year of his contract; Mariota has spent the past two seasons as Derek Carr’s backup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Now, as a 28-year-old free agent, he has landed where he won most recently.

The Falcons’ second-year head coach, Arthur Smith, was at that game in 2019, too. As Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, he was one of the keys in orchestrating Mariota’s performance and the Titans’ victory.

Although things didn’t work out for Mariota after that in Nashville, Smith obviously believes he can do more of what he accomplished that Sunday afternoon in Atlanta three seasons ago.

Shortly after the Falcons traded Ryan to Indianapolis earlier this week, the team signed Mariota. Atlanta had reportedly been in the hunt for Deshaun Watson, but the Cleveland Browns closed the deal.

Mariota is widely viewed as merely a placeholder while the Falcons rebuild. But one former Atlanta quarterback and coach said Tuesday he will do better than expected.

“I think he will surprise everyone,” June Jones said in a text to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “With his old OC he knows the system, and he’ll be blessed to be in a dome. Both Colts and Falcons gained on this trade. Ryan puts the Colts right in the Super Bowl mix now.”

No one is talking Super Bowl for the Falcons, who have had four consecutive losing seasons since their last playoff appearance in 2017.

They have the eighth pick in the upcoming draft, but is there a quarterback with enough upside who is worthy of that high a selection?

Probably not, which could be good news for Mariota fans who want to see him on the field for as long as possible.

But instant success could be asking a lot.

Adding to other holes, Atlanta’s top receiver, Calvin Ridley, is suspended for the upcoming season for placing bets on NFL games last season.

And Tom Brady’s un-retirement probably doesn’t help the Falcons’ playoff chances since his Tampa Bay Bucs are also in the NFC South.

If Mariota does start, which looks very likely at this point, at least it adds even more spice to the Falcons’ intense rivalry with the Saints.

Jameis Winston is slated to start for New Orleans; he and Mariota both joined the league in 2015, with Winston the first overall pick of the draft, right before Mariota.

Neither has yet lived up to the immense hype generated by their stellar college careers.

Like Mariota, Winston needs to prove he can remain healthy. Like Winston, Mariota will try to fill the position recently held by his franchise’s all-time greatest quarterback.

Until Mariota takes the field this fall, no one knows if the rust of rarely playing the past two seasons will affect him, and for how long.

But it’s indisputable that what his new team’s fans saw in person three years ago was a winner.