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[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons training camp joint practice vs Titans: Atlanta shines against Tennessee on Day 1

The Atlanta Falcons welcomed the Tennessee Titans to Flowery Branch for a joint practice for the first time in many years on Tuesday. When we walked out onto the field blanketed by the mid-August cloud cover, we were greeted with the sights of an opposing team on the field, having made the trek down from Nashville.

This was the first day of the highly anticipated joint practice with the Titans, as Tennessee reporters and even a few fans made the trip to observe the days events.

For the Falcons players who did not play in the first preseason game (which was the majority of starters), this was their first chance to compete against someone not on their own team since the beginning of camp.

Here are my notes and observations from the first day of the joint practice.

Heck of a diving catch by Chris Blair against Amani Oruwariye pic.twitter.com/EIhJMVEybP

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 12, 2025

Michael Penix looks dominant​

If Michael Penix really does take the league by storm this year, then the Tennessee Titans will have been the first team to experience it first hand.

Penix went 13-16 overall in the 11-on-11 portions of scrimmage against Tennessee’s first team defense. He went 4-5 in the early 7-on-7 portion to begin the day (this setting always favors the offense with no pass rush at all, however). I counted six of those 13 completions as being intermediate to deep (at least 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage in the air).

The best pass of the day was a looping home run shot to Casey Washington on the second throw of 11s after Washington got a step on a post route. It was a majestic deep ball which hit him right on the money.

Penix connects with Casey Washington on a home run for a touchdown. It was majestic.

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 12, 2025

In the 7-on-7 portion, Penix also connected with Bijan Robinson on a wheel route for a touchdown, where Bijan easily got multiple steps ahead of a helpless Cedric Gray.

The second year man wasn’t afraid of pushing the ball downfield, to consistent success. Tennessee’s secondary without L’Jarius Sneed had no answer.

Drake London can’t be contained​

Speaking of no answers in the secondary, Drake London was simply too much for whatever the Titans threw at him. Out of Penix’s 21 total throws in both 7s and 11s, eight were directed at London for a 38% target share. London is clearly the favorite at this junction, and that seems unlikely to change.

Drake London over Oruwariye for a deep catch before hyping up the fans pic.twitter.com/Lnk8A3jzcO

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 12, 2025

Out of those eight, six were completions and five of them would have gone for 10+ yard gains. Penix kept dialing up his top guy down the field on those intermediate chunk plays which lie somewhere between short passes and complete home runs.

At one point, after hitting a very nice gain to London on two out of three plays, it looked like Tennessee sent a double team against the USC product. That didn’t seem to help, as Penix hit London for another chunk play on a perfectly executed timing route on the right sideline.

London may have been double teamed but it doesn’t matter as Penix hits him on a timing route for about 15 yards on the left sideline

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 12, 2025

Kyle Pitts continues to miss big portions of 11-on-11 drills and Darnell Mooney is still hurt, but no matter the circumstances it seems guaranteed that Penix will be looking London’s way early and often in 2025.

Falcons defense gets the better of Cam Ward​

While Penix and London were connecting with frequency on one field, Cam Ward and the Titans offense were having a tough time on the opposite field.

The top overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft couldn’t get anything going downfield as the Falcons secondary kept sticky coverage on all of his weapons. The only thing the Titans offense had any sort of success in was short crossers over the middle.

Natrone Brooks and AJ Terrell each had multiple pass breakups, while Dontae Manning and Jessie Bates also had nice plays where they got their hands on the ball.

Things went from bad to worse toward the end of practice for Ward as he threw the ball right into Mike Ford’s chest for an interception without any Titans receiver in sight. Then, on his final pass of the day, in the final 11-on-11 sequence, Ward had a short pass batted into the air by Terrell and into the waiting arms of Bates who would have had a pick-six in a real game.

Cam Ward’s presumed last pass of the day is short to the left, batted in the air by AJ Terrell and floats into the waiting arms of Jessie Bates who would have taken it all the way back for the score

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 12, 2025

It was as dominant of a performance from the Falcons secondary as I could have imagined as a best case scenario coming into today.

Kicking competition remains in Younghoo Koo’s favor​

We did get to see a little bit of action in the kicking game again today. In the middle of scrimmages, we had special teams do their work while the offenses and defenses took small breaks.

Younghoe Koo and Lenny Krieg each got four kicks during one of these periods, and they both wound up being automatic on them, with all eight total boots going through the uprights. Each had a long of over 50 yards during this portion.

Krieg got one extra chance as Kirk Cousins worked the second team offense into field goal range during what looked like a 2-minute drill to end the day. That kick was also from beyond 50 yards and it was completely shanked to the left. Standing right behind the goal posts it was clear to see that the attempt was not close.

Raheem Morris announced before the practice began that Koo would be the team’s kicker in the upcoming preseason game. Krieg got to suit up last week, and he went 1/2 with a long of 57 yards, a miss from 53 yards and a successful extra point try.

Other Notes​

• Kirk Cousins looked sharp, going 11-16 in the 11-on-11 portion against the Titans’ second team defense but with the vast majority of his completions being slants, screens, flat routs and curls. Just like Penix, he went 4-5 in the 7-on-7 portion.
• The Falcons first team run defense had a strong day, as I didn’t really see any Titans RBs getting loose against that unit outside of a couple good Tony Pollard runs that went for decent gains.
• Kyle Pitts was out there for 7-on-7s and for the very last run of 11-on-11s but not anywhere in between. He continues getting his practice reps capped, presumably due to the foot injury from earlier in the summer. He did catch Penix’s final pass on the day, making a nice adjustment as MPJ gunned it to him on the move.
• Morris says there’s still no timetable on Darnell Mooney’s return. He called him “week-to-week” and would only say that they expect to have him back healthy “this year.” I would personally brace for the Falcons to start the season without Mooney.
• Head coach Jeff Ulbrich praised both rookies Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman in the post practice press conference, saying each one has “uncommon maturity” for a rookie. Both are competing for starting spots in the secondary.

That’s it from me for today. I will be back out there one last time for tomorrow’s joint practice. Stay tuned!

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...day-1-observations-michael-penix-drake-london

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons training camp joint practice vs. Titans: Emotions spill over on Day 2

The Tennessee Titans remained guests of the Atlanta Falcons, at Flowery Branch, for another day during the team’s second joint practice together on Wednesday.

After the Falcons looked to have decisively won yesterday’s practice, today was a lot more even as the Titans bounced back both on offense and on defense.

There were no one on ones. The teams did their walkthroughs, had their routes against air and then immediately went right into 7-on-7 mode, with plenty of scrimmage taking place today and plenty of emotion coming out.

Here are my notes and observations from the second day of the joint practice.

Aggression and Conflict​

After the Falcons got the better of them on Day 1, it felt like the Titans made a concerted effort to come out as the much more aggressive and physical team on Wednesday morning. There were an uncharacteristically plentiful amount of flags thrown against Tennessee players in the early 7-on-7 red zone portion as they were making early contact and being very handsy.

On the second play of the 11-on-11 portion, frustration and trash talk escalated into an all out brawl. Michael Penix Jr. hit Ray Ray McCloud on a home run touchdown pass down the field and a few seconds later bodies were hitting the floor as the Falcons offense and the Titans defense went after one another.

Penix was the main guy involved for the Falcons, as he ended up at the bottom of the pile. In the post practice press conference, Penix said some words were said to him as he was celebrating the touchdown pass and called it a matter of respect. The rest of the Falcons offense was very quick to back their quarterback up. Drake London had to be pulled away at the end of it all.

Michael Penix on the brawls today: “They had a lot of words during practice so I gave them some of my words.” pic.twitter.com/cW47FXdYD0

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 13, 2025

Penix: “they look at me as just the quarterback and they weren’t expecting that but… I’m from Tampa.”

Says that the brawl started due to a level of disrespect shown. Says they should handle things in a better way and that he’s never had that sort of a situation.

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 13, 2025

Just a couple of plays later, the offense and defense came together for a second scuffle, one where Kaleb McGary was directly involved and lost his helmet. Not too much time passed before Henry Black took exception to a push from behind in punt coverage drills and got into a shoving match with a Titans player, as both special teams units converged.

This was the second push from behind in a row, after DeMarcco Hellams suffered one before limping off the field (he came back shortly afterward). For the rest of practice it looked like players from both teams would give a little bit of a late shove at the end of many plays.

Amani Hooker may have pushed Bijan a couple extra times after the play was over

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 13, 2025

Michael Penix takes a step back compared to the first day​

As for the on the field portion of the day, Michael Penix struggled with his accuracy in 11-on-11 after that early touchdown to McCloud. I tracked him going an overall 8-15 with plenty of miscues, and it’s fair to question if the fight and the added Titans aggression had something to do with it.

Two out the next seven completions would have gone for 10+ yards in the 11-on-11, with the rest being short connections, as Penix had some misfires over the heads of his receivers as well as a couple of short armed throws to London.

The quarterback clearly had his best part of the day before the scuffle, as he started by going 3-4 with three scores in the 7-on-7 portion inside the 10-yard line, with touchdowns to Drake London (2x) and Kyle Pitts (who secured it one handed).

During the same red zone portion in 11-on-11s (which are far more indicative of performance given that there’s a real pass rush), Penix went 1-4 with no scores.

Drake London keeps getting fed​

Even with Kyle Pitts playing more 11-on-11 than I’ve seen all camp, it was clear that the Falcons’ aerial attack this season will revolve around Drake London being the alpha.

Out of 19 total Penix throws (not counting flags), London was the target for eight of them for a 42% target share, one day after being thrown to eight out of 21 times for a 38% target share.

London was targeted from inside the 10 four times in eight Penix attempts at that part of the field, in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11, securing two of the three completed touchdowns. The USC alum had four total catches but all of the short variety as the usual long connection with Penix was off.

There’s no question that Penix will look London’s way often this season, as he is by far the most trusted receiving option.

Cam Ward bounces back but throws late interception​

After the Falcons’ first team defense got to Cam Ward all day yesterday, forcing mistakes and mental errors, the No. 1 pick looked much sharper and got some revenge in today’s practice.

The play of the day for the Titans came when Calvin Ridley burned AJ Terrell in one-on-one coverage and was hit on a perfect pass from Ward, following a quick four-step drop. Terrell could do nothing but express his frustration as Ridley pointed at him with the football on his way into the end zone. This came two plays after Tony Pollard had a long touchdown run of his own.

Calvin Ridley just burned AJ Terrell for a long touchdown. He pointed at him as he made his way to the end zone

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 13, 2025

Overall, Ward looked a lot more composed and poised in the pocket, delivering plenty of short completions, although the Falcons secondary remained stout on the deeper passes outside of that Ridley one.

Atlanta’s defense got a decisive win on the final “1-minute drill” from Ward. Following a short completion, Terrell defended a long pass over the middle intended for Ridley before defensive pressure and tight coverage forced a throwaway which wasn’t thrown far enough and gave Dee Alford a chance to snag an interception along the sideline which he took while tapping the toes in bounds.

Dee Alford intercepts Cam Ward near the boundary on the final pass. Gets the feet in bounds. Looked like Ward wanted to throw it away but it didn’t go far enough

— Adnan Ikic (@SayWhichWay) August 13, 2025

Kirk Cousins looks incredible sharp​

The best quarterback performance of the day came from No. 18 on Atlanta’s side, as Kirk Cousins quietly picked his spots and connected on the vast majority of his attempts.

Cousins went an overall 10-12 in the the 11-on-11 sequences, including 1-2 in the red zone portion with a touchdown to Jashaun Corbin out of the backfield. One of the incompletions was on a well-covered setup screen that the veteran QB got rid of, and the other was on his last pass of the day taking a home run shot to Chris Blair who got a step on Marcus Harris but a slightly under-thrown ball allowed the DB to recover.

The majority of Cousins’ completions were also of the short variety, but he dialed up some deep shots when the defense got lulled by the consistent short action. One such pass was when David Sills got behind everyone and Kirk threw it to him while on the run, moving to his right, for a long gain near the sideline.

In the 7-on-7 inside the 10 portion, Cousins went 2-3 with two touchdowns and one interception that looks worse on paper than in actuality, as the pass hit Charlie Woerner in the hands in the end zone but ricocheted into a waiting defenders arms.

Other Notes​

• Casey Washington is not only the clear favorite to win a roster spot, but right now he’s probably the Week 1 starter opposite Drake London if Darnell Mooney can’t suit up. Washington ran exclusively with the first team in walkthroughs and scrimmage today.
• Dee Alford had a strong day, which included the aforementioned lone interception of the morning, as well as a pass breakup in the red zone. He remained working with the starters and is the heavy favorite for the starting nickel CB job.
• Xavier Watts and Jordan Fuller both got some rotation playing next to Jessie Bates with the first team. The starting safety job remains up for grabs.
• Brandon Dorlus got real run with the first team in walkthroughs and could be a darkhorse candidate to start Week 1 along the interior of the 3-4. Even if he doesn’t start, Dorlus will be a real factor for the defensive coaches this season.

That’s it from me when it comes to training camp coverage for this year. Thank you for following along! We have all of your coverage as we get into the season right here at The Falcoholic!

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...actice-vs-titans-emotions-spill-over-on-day-2

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons vs Titans joint practice recap and preseason preview with Chris Belcher

The Falcons and Titans wrapped up their joint practices ahead of Friday’s preseason game, and Kevin Knight is joined by Chris Belcher (Bleav in Titans) to discuss everything we’ve seen thus far. How have Michael Penix Jr. and the offense fared against Tennessee’s defense? Has Atlanta’s new-look defense been able to limit rookie Cam Ward and Calvin Ridley? Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode of the Dirty Birds and Brews podcast!

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You can watch the show here on The Falcoholic, but we recommend watching on YouTube for the best experience—including full 1080p HD video and access to the live Q&A in the chat. You can also access the show using your smart TV or device using the YouTube app for the real big-screen experience!

We hope you enjoy the show! If you have comments, we’d love to hear them. Send them to us on Twitter (@FalcoholicLive), leave them below, or e-mail the show at [email protected].

Thanks for watching!

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...ael-penix-drake-london-cam-ward-calvin-ridley

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

How to watch Falcons – Titans preseason Week 2 tonight

After a truncated first preseason game where both the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions elected not to play the bulk of the fourth quarter owing to a scary Morice Norris injury—he’s doing better, by the way!—our favorite team returns to preseason action tonight. You will almost certainly see even fewer starters after a week of intense and sometimes frisky joint practices with the Tennessee Titans, which means a longer look for roster hopefuls and reserves.

If you’re tuning in tonight, here’s what you’ll want to know about when and how you can catch the game, whether you’re local or tuning in from lands unknown. Go Falcons, and stay healthy!

Schedule & TV information​

Date: Friday, August 15

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Channel: FOX/FOX5/NFL Network

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Announcers: Justin Kutcher, Coy Wire, D.J. Shockley, Jen Hale

Radio: 92.9 The Game & affiliates locally with Dave Archer and Wes Durham on the call; Sirius XM nationally

Online streaming​

The game will be available on FOX5’s website and app locally, on Fubo with a subscription, and for re-watch and live watch on NFL+ nationally if you have a subscription.

Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook (preseason? really?)​

Social media links​

Falcoholic Facebook: Click here for our page

Twitter: Follow @TheFalcoholic

Live Show: The Falcoholic on YouTube

Podcast: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

2025 Atlanta Falcons schedule ​

PRESEASON WEEK 3: at Dallas Cowboys, Friday, August 22, 8 p.m. EST

WEEK 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, September 7, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 2: at Minnesota Vikings, Sunday Night Football, September 14, 8:20 p.m. EST

WEEK 3: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, September 21, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 4: vs. Washington Commanders, Sunday, September 28, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 5: BYE WEEK

WEEK 6: vs. Buffalo Bills, Monday Night Football, October 13, 7:15 p.m. EST

WEEK 7: at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday Night Football, October 19, 8:20 p.m. EST

WEEK 8: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, October 26, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 9: at New England Patriots, Sunday, November 2, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 10: at Indianapolis Colts (Berlin), Sunday, November 9, 9:30 a.m. EST

WEEK 11: vs. Carolina Panthers, Sunday, November 16, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 12: vs New Orleans Saints, Sunday, November 23, 4:25 p.m. EST

WEEK 13: at New York Jets, Sunday, November 30, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 14: vs. Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, December 7, 1 p.m. EST

WEEK 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday Night Football, December 11, 8:15 p.m. EST

WEEK 16: at Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, December 21, 4:05 p.m. EST

WEEK 17: vs Los Angeles Rams, Monday Night Football, December 29, 8:15 p.m. EST

WEEK 18: at New Orleans Saints, Time and Date TBD

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...watch-falcons-titans-preseason-week-2-tonight

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons – Titans Week 2 preseason open thread

The joint practices got a bit heated in the summer sun, but the Atlanta Falcons held their own against the Tennessee Titans this week. Now we’ll see how they fare in a preseason game against them, with the caveat that it will of course be primarily reserves and roster hopefuls out there.

Our hopes are that the team will stay healthy and show us plenty to like, with intrigue around battles still raging for spots like nickel cornerback, starting safety, and QB3. You’ll use this as your open thread for the evening, so enjoy the game and go Falcons!

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...0/falcons-titans-week-2-preseason-open-thread

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons – Titans preseason recap: Sloppy yet interesting

About all you can ask for from preseason is that it’s somewhat lively, injury-free, and gives the Atlanta Falcons plenty to evaluate. By those standards, a consistently sloppy but only intermittently dull Week 2 game against the Titans was about as good as it gets, marred primarily by a late injury to Emory Jones (which I hated) and a bunch of teeth-gritting penalties (which I also hated).

The Falcons lost, but of course that’s not something we should preoccupy ourselves with when it comes to preseason. What matters much more is the evaluation, with the Falcons looking to see how players they liked coming into the summer hold up in a live game against another NFL team, understand how players bounce back from adversity or chain together quality efforts, and figure out who will ultimately stick on the 53 man roster and 16 man practice squad.

We don’t have all the answers to those questions yet—that wide receiver battle is a damn interesting one, for example—but we’re much closer with just one week of preseason to go. That unfortunate injury to Emory Jones will hopefully not hurt his chances of sticking on the practice squad, but Easton Stick played most of the game and clearly has QB3 sown up, even if he had his real ups and downs in this one. Nate Carter stood out as the most explosive back and got more work than Elijah Dotson and Jashaun Corbin, meaning the only real question left is whether the staff likes a currently recuperating Carlos Washington enough to keep him ahead of Carter. And with CJ Henderson in the fold, Cobee Bryant and Clark Phillips dealing with injury, Natrone Brooks shining again, and Lamar Jackson scuffling throughout much of this game, perhaps we’re getting some clarity on that final cornerback spot. Those are the things the Falcons will spend the week mulling in the service of the strongest possible roster, and chances are these last two games will get them 90% of the way toward making those decisions, with the final effort perhaps helping to decide starting safety, the final receiver spot, and a host of practice squad slots.

Regardless, this one had its moments. On to the full recap.

The Good​

• Natrone Brooks has shown a knack for taking advantage of opportunities in the summer, and he did it again. On a play where James Pearce got enough pressure on Titans quarterback Brandon Allen to throw his heave off just a little bit, Brooks took advantage of the wobble and read it the whole way, picking off the pass and picking up over 20 yards on the return. With his strong tackling and value as a returner—he had a couple of solid kick returns Friday—Brooks is a player the Falcons need to keep around, and whether that’s on the roster or the practice squad, I fully expect that they will.
• I liked what I saw from Nate Carter a lot. Carter, who is getting a long look this summer and is showing speed and physicality that can play in this league, came close to breaking some long runs and ultimately did so on an impressive 43 yard scamper in the third quarter, one where he slipped contact, took advantage of a couple of good blocks, and simply outran defenders for a touchdown. Carlos Washington is hurt and I’m uncertain about his status, but Carter’s the standout runner in this muddied group at the moment, and should have a real shot of making this roster.
• While the first half was ugly, featuring a pick six and an interception cancelled by offsetting penalties, Easton Stick did settle in for the second half and start delivering sharper balls. He also scampered for a nice 12 yard pickup before hitting Chris Blair on a nice sideline ball that Blair took the house for a score, the second straight week that connection has paid off. Given that he played most of the game and had some nice moments as the game wore on, Stick is QB3, even if you’d be terrified to rely on him for more than a game in dire circumstances, like most any other QB3.
• Chris Blair is going to be around in some capacity and possibly even as WR6, if the Falcons elect to keep that many guys. He reeled in three of his five targets for 78 yards and a touchdown, showcasing reliability and big play ability the Falcons can always use. Given that he’s been a consistent summertime standout and is familiar with the scheme at this point, it might be tough to leave Blair off this roster. The problem is that with Darnell Mooney banged up, Casey Washington didn’t play at all, which means he likely has a spot and any additional spots may be hard to come by.
• Josh Thompson has a lot of competition for a roster spot, and hell, even a practice squad spot. Making special teams tackles will endear you to this coaching staff, and Thompson had a pair on returns Friday night, including a half-ending one where he forced a stumble on a low tackle attempt. I’m not sure he’ll ultimately stick, but again, that’s the way to make your case when you’re a special teamer.
• Or you could do what Teagan Quitoriano did, which is forcing and recovering a fumble on a kick return. That enabled the Falcons to tie the game up, and it showed strong effort and smarts for a player vying to be TE3 and a fixture on special teams, where Ross Dwelley was not much of an asset a year ago. Our own Kevin Knight and Adnan Ikic believe Quitoriano is in the driver’s seat for TE3 duties despite Feleipe Franks getting more preseason run thus far, and that play illustrates that he can be mighty useful even if his role on offense is tiny.
• David Sills got off to a hot start last game before taking a backseat to Dylan Drummond and Chris Blair, and he did it again in this one. Sills reeled in two Stick balls for a pair of nice grabs, showing off the quality hands that have made him a Kirk Cousins favorite this summer. He’s still in the mix for that last spot, and Drummond and Nash having some shaky moments probably helps his cause.
• They weren’t all going to make a highlight reel of his most beautiful kicks, as a couple veered worryingly close to the upright, but Younghoe Koo did what he needed to do in this one and showed a level of reliability we’re going to need to see over and over again in 2025. Taking over after Lenny Krieg handled kicking duties last week, when Krieg hit an impressive long kick and missed a much shorter one, Koo didn’t miss a single opportunity against the Titans. That’ll help him stick around, though the Falcons still have to figure out how to sneak Krieg through waivers and into their international practice squad spot.
• Pressure was much more intermittent in this one, but I want to give kudos to James Pearce, Ruke Orhorhoro, and DeAngelo Malone for providing some, even if it didn’t directly translate to sacks. Pearce continues to make things happen early on, Orhorhoro creates headaches and opportunities for others, and Malone has his moments even if his tackling sometimes fills me with despair. Pearce and Ruke are guaranteed major roles, but Malone needs these moments and his special teams reputation to carry him to a roster spot this year.
• Similarly, there were moments of gold for a run defense that scuffled as a whole, with LaCale London, Brandon Dorlus, Morgan Fox, and Caleb Johnson all showing up. Fox and Dorlus are guaranteed rotation guys, but London really needed this effort after a somewhat quiet summer and continues to look to me like a player who at least warrants a practice squad addition. Johnson is in a competitive battle for an inside linebacker spot based on his special teams chops and may be going toe-to-toe with Malone for it, so his really nice red zone run stop late in this one is a big deal for him.
• Bradley Pinion had a beautiful punt that landed inside the five yard line and bounced up and back slightly, and then turned in another good one in the second quarter to get the Falcons out of deep in their own territory. I like to praise quality punting when I see it, but in preseason where the list of highlights is naturally a bit low, I especially want to.
• Aside from Emory Jones, who may have suffered a concussion near the end of this game, the Falcons came out of this one healthy. Henry Black also exited the game, but the veteran safety did return later, which is a relief. We’ll hope Jones is back in action next week, and that the Falcons can indeed make it to the season as healthy as they are today.

The Ugly​

• It wasn’t the best first half for last week’s heroes. Easton Stick got way too locked on to Nick Nash and was intercepted for an easy pick six while scuffling under pressure before and after that, Dylan Drummond lost a deep ball and grabbed his defender to pick up a (meaningless) offensive pass interference call and got called for holding on a Nate Carter run in the second quarter, and the competent pass protection we largely enjoyed last week was undone by pressure, sacks, and false starts from the reserve offensive line. Stick still had his moments, but we saw some sloppiness in terms of processing and ball placement that we didn’t last week, and Drummond and Nick Nash had trouble reeling in balls. It’s not all going to be golden in preseason, but the offense was tough to watch early on; Drummond at least managed a nice punt return later in the game and both he and Nash reeled in a couple passes.
• Jack Nelson may someday be a really useful tackle in this league—I hope so—but it’s pretty clear that isn’t the case in the here and now. Nelson was called twice for holding and visibly scuffled in pass protection on Friday night before settling in a little later, making it clear he needs time and patience as he develops. Whether the Falcons will give him that is the outstanding question of the moment, but I still think he makes the practice squad with the Falcons jockeying for a young swing tackle option.
• The entire reserve offensive line was just discouraging to watch. Obviously one player on this line filling in will play better than five fill-ins—Kyle Hinton has been fine when he’s had to jump in, for example—but as a group this was pretty ugly in terms of penalties, in terms of pass protection, and in terms of run blocking. Jovaughn Gwyn has not been a standout, Elijah Wilkinson is too much of a veteran to have two penalties in a single preseason game, and so on. The Falcons have some tough decisions to make in this group for perhaps the wrong reasons, with only the sitting swing tackle Storm Norton guaranteed to stick and Hinton and Gwyn particularly likely to. This might be a position group where the Falcons comb cuts for additions.
• Sometimes players who have the juice early in the summer end up juiceless in preseason, and Lamar Jackson has been that thus far. Through two preseason games, there is obviously quality instincts against the run and solid tackling, but plenty of shaky reps in coverage for Jackson and a pass interference call. That’s a shame for a player who had a prime opportunity to seize a spot in an unsettled cornerback depth chart and hasn’t appeared to be able to take advantage. Perhaps the Falcons have seen enough overall to consider him for the practice squad, but that’s far from a lock now, and he has the always-shining Brooks and new signing CJ Henderson to contend with now.
• The defense as a whole showed some bad habits that we won’t want to see this year, and the fact that they did so with some likely contributors on the field is enough to make you mildly nervous. The run defense was inconsistent, the coverage shaky, and the pressure only intermittent from the reserves and rotational guys; we have to remember that this will all look different when the starters replace or join them on the field or we’ll start worrying earlier than we have to. Either way, it’s not fun to watch.
• The Falcons needing Raheem Morris to bail them out twice with timeouts because they couldn’t get the snap off on the same drive was not fun to watch. We don’t need any flashbacks to clock management of yesteryear, but at least in this case it was an alert Morris saving the offense from itself.

The Wrapup​

Game MVP​

You guys mind if I split this between Natrone Brooks for the interception and returns and Chris Blair for the receiving excellence? No? Great.

One Takeaway​

The Falcons could still stand to tweak the back end of their roster and sift through other teams’ cuts for practice squad help; there are some real keepers here but also enough question marks about depth that the third preseason game will be crucial for setting minds at ease or forcing the Falcons to look elsewhere.

Next Week​

The lone road game of preseason, a finale against the Dallas Cowboys that’s likely to be extremely light on both intrigue and starters. Check out Blogging the Boys for more…well, blogs about the boys.

Final Word​

Nearlytotheregularseason.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...titans-preseason-recap-sloppy-yet-interesting