Week 1 of the NFL Preseason is now in the books for the Atlanta Falcons who were eager to hit the field and showcase their talents. Although you may not have seen a ton of starters out against the Miami Dolphins a lot of young guys got the chance to impress the coaching staff to make a roster. The Falcons were victorious winning 19-3 and here are some things that I took away from it.
Falcons Aggressive on Defense
The Falcons had a great week in joint practice with the Dolphins getting to the Quarterback, and it continued this past Friday night as well. The defense registered five sacks on the evening, and forced the Dolphins into four turnovers. It is just game one, however Ryan Nielsen‘s defense looks pretty aggressive, something the Falcons have been needing for quite some time now. Rookie DeMarcco Hellams had a team-high seven tackles, a pass breakup, along with an interception for a score as well.
Balance on Offense
Third-string Quarterback Logan Woodside played the entire game on Friday going 14-for-23 and 146 yards in the air. While the running game led by Godwin Igwebuike with 70 yards and a touchdown totaled over 100 yards on the ground as well. The offensive line did give up four sacks, but the offense did not turn the ball over. A lot of Falcons Twitter were looking forward to seeing the starters play, but I didn’t think it was needed against Miami. I expect that next week against Cincinnati we will see the starters.
Good and Bad Special Teams
Defensive Back Dee Alford broke the game open with 79-yard punt return that went for a touchdown late in the 4th quarter. Alford signed with the team last season after two years in the CFL. A play like that will make a case for Alford to stay on the roster. However, not everything went well on Special Teams for the Falcons as kicker Younghoe Koo missed two extra points–which is rare for Koo. Last season, Koo had a slight dip in his numbers missing five field goals and two extra points. In comparison to his 2020 and 2021 season where he only missed four field goals and three extra points combined.
The Falcons head back to Atlanta with pre-season game number two at Mercedes-Benz against the Cincinnati Bengals this Friday. For more Falcon updates click here.
