By Brant Daughtry
One more week of preseason football to go. Good thing too, because Raheem Morris has elected to not really show anything in these games, and it’s almost putting me to sleep. Pretty much no one in the two deep is getting these reps, which makes sense considering you feel pretty good about most of them, even if it doesn’t make for the best viewing experience. Let’s get into this.
1. O-line play was much better
I failed to notice last week that Ryan Neuzil was out at the center spot, and what a night-and-day difference it made to get him back. Everyone benefitted from having him back, and not just on the offensive line. The running game had a much better day, gaining 151 yards on the ground, and Taylor Heinicke looked a lot more comfortable. Putting up 342 yards of offense is a testament to how impactful the offensive line play was to last week.
2. McClellan vs. Washington
The battle for that third running back spot is one of the few things I’ve actually enjoyed about the preseason games. Washington, the second year player, seemed to have the edge early, but McClellan looked really good against Baltimore and has gotten more carries in the actual games. It’s hard for Atlanta to go wrong here, one of few spots where it feels like a win-win.
3. Chris Blair, welcome to Atlanta(‘s active roster)
The Falcons acquired Rondale Moore in the Desmond Ridder trade, thinking he’d round out the receiver room. Unfortunately, an injury means he’s already done for the year. They immediately signed Jakeem Grant, who almost just as immediately went down with a season-ending injury of his own, the second of his career. Enter Chris Blair, a practice squad guy who’s never been much of a threat to make the active roster consistently. That is, until now. Blair looked awesome against the Ravens, and while that was just against backups, it’s hard to ignore the production he put up. Dude is impressive, and made his case to be a part of Atlanta’s receiving core going into the season.
4. The secondary was not great…
Josh Johnson ripped the Falcons backups to shreds, going 11-for-11 for 120 yards and a TD. Then Emory Jones came in and did much of the same. It was a bad, bad day for these guys. Understand that while these guys are depth pieces and most likely won’t see action barring some injury, they still need to be ready. There were a lot of busted coverages and any halfway capable QB is going to find that.
5. …but Natrone Brooks was
You can always use a heat-seeking missile at corner, and Brooks was that against Baltimore. He led the team with eight tackles, and was towards the bottom of the pile most of the time. He also looked good in coverage, as I can’t recall him being a part of any of the major busts the team had. It was a bad day for the secondary overall, but a great day for Brooks. I think this game goes a long way towards him making the 53-man roster.
6. Okay, the ACTUAL fun stuff
Two all-pro defenders signed with Atlanta this past week, filling the biggest holes the team had left. With Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons in the fold, this defense goes from suspect to solid. By virtue of Judon alone, this edge group goes from complete liability to at least average, and if everyone stays healthy, the pass rush can come from anywhere at this point. With Simmons in, you know have two erasers on the back end in what’s probably the best pair of starting safeties in the league. These guys are exciting, and it means the Falcons feel that the window is officially open.
