By Brant Daughtry
I’ve made it no secret that I despise the pre-season. For a fan, it’s largely a waste of time. Best case scenario, you get to see a fringe guy have a great game and earn a roster spot, or worst case, you see guys get hurt in games that don’t mean anything. Joint practices are one thing, these are controlled environments. But the open games in the preseason has already claimed some guys for Atlanta, and that hurts more than it benefits.
Alright, I’ll get off my soapbox. Here are some key takeaways from the first preseason game of 2024.
Final: Falcons 13, Dolphins 20
1. Michael Penix belongs
After the game, Penix went on record saying that he wasn’t nervous, and just wanted to go. That showed. Penix went 9-of-14 through the air for 105 yards. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but in the limited time that Penix got, I was impressed with how comfortable he looked, especially for a rookie playing with all backups. His deep ball is especially impressive, that was true at Washington and it’s true now. He’s got a little while to get better at the rest of being a quarterback, but the early returns are promising.
2. The rest of the QBs struggled
It’s a good thing Penix belongs because the rest of the QB room left a lot to be desired. Taylor Heinicke and Nathan Rourke went a combined 7-of-24 for 48 yards. Definitely not good enough Heinicke also had a pretty rough turnover on his first snap where he definitely didn’t do all he could to prevent it from happening. Rourke got the worse end of the stick though, as he got released immediately after the game. They also signed John Paddock, a free agent, to take his spot in the room.
3. Injuries suck
DeMarco Hellams and Braken Trice both figured to be major pieces in the Falcons defense this year, with Hellams coming on strong at the safety position at the end of last season, and Trice being an extremely promising third rounder in this year’s draft. Now, Trice has been placed on the IL and is done for the year. Hellams won’t miss the whole season, but he will miss significant time, which massively impacts an already thin safety room. The team is working on a free agency signing to add depth, but this hurts a lot.
4. That run game…
It looked bad. Now, it has to be noted that the Falcons didn’t play any of their starting offensive lineman or either of the top two running backs, but it was still demoralizing to see the squad run into a brick wall any time the ball was handed off. 81 yards on 30 carries just won’t get it done.
5. Arnold Ebiketie
The Falcons feel like they really want Ebiketie to take a jump at some point. The guy has the talent to be at the very least, a competent edge rusher, and he’s been in the league for a while now. That jump just hasn’t come yet. Against some guys who are lower on the depth chart for Miami, Ebiketie just didn’t contribute. He feels like he’s nearing his last chance in Atlanta, and this game did him no favors. Once again, the Falcons pass rush looks like it’ll have to come from elsewhere. I don’t love singling out individuals like this, but AE is a guy that the Falcons drafted very high for him to have as little impact as he has.
Overall, this game doesn’t matter too much. The most impactful thing from this game will be the injuries to Hellams and Trice. Without them, the Falcons lose a lot of quality depth. That said, no one should be panicking yet. We inch ever closer to the start of meaningful football.
