The Falcons closed out the preseason with a 17-12 win over the Dolphins on Friday night, and the final tune-up brought a little of everything: a sharp pass rush, a few encouraging rookie performances, and the same old penalty problems that have followed this team all summer.
For Atlanta, the biggest name on the field was Tua Tagovailoa, who got the start in Miami and had a chance to settle some unfinished business at Hard Rock Stadium. He finished 8 of 9 for 95 yards, but the numbers didn’t tell the whole story.
Most of that production came on a screen to Kyle Pitts that went for nearly 40 yards, along with a steady stream of checkdowns. Tagovailoa also lost a snap fumble, his second such mistake of the preseason, and it undercut what should have been a strong case for him to gain ground in the quarterback battle against a now-healthy Michael Penix Jr.
While the quarterback spotlight was on Miami, Atlanta’s defense did plenty of damage on the other side. James Pearce Jr. looked as disruptive as ever, finishing with three tackles, a tackle for loss, and two of the Falcons’ five sacks. The rookie edge rusher has already shown he can get after the quarterback - after becoming the first Falcons rookie since Vic Beasley to record 10 sacks in a season last year - but the larger issue now is how Atlanta handles his absence, since he won’t be back in game action until Week 9.
Harold Perkins Jr. also delivered the kind of performance the Falcons had been waiting for. After turning heads in camp and taking some first-team reps, the EDGE/LB hybrid had been quiet in the first two preseason games, failing to record a tackle.
That changed in the finale. Perkins finished with three solo tackles, a tackle for loss, and his first NFL sack, giving real weight to the idea that he’s more than just a summer story.
The Falcons also got another strong showing from an undrafted rookie fighting for a place on the roster. Vinny Anthony II made his case with three catches on four targets for 21 yards and a 52-yard kick return.
He’s been in the WR6 mix all summer, and his work as a returner only strengthens his argument. Even if he doesn’t survive final cuts, he’s made enough noise to warrant a practice squad look or another shot somewhere else.
Another undrafted name worth watching is tight end Jack Velling. He had his best preseason game yet, leading the team with four receptions for 30 yards and scoring his first NFL touchdown.
The spike celebration after the score made the moment pop, but the bigger point is that Velling has put together a summer full of bright flashes. There may not be room for him on the 53-man roster, though the practice squad remains in play.
What still hangs over all of it is discipline. Penalties have been a recurring headache for this staff all preseason, and the finale didn’t clean that up.
Atlanta was flagged 10 times for 78 yards against Miami, pushing its preseason total to 25 penalties for 232 yards. After piling up 15 penalties for 154 yards across the first two preseason games, the Falcons head toward the season opener with one obvious area that still needs fixing.
In Other News...
Falcons Roster Cuts Just Put More Bubble Players On Notice
The roster squeeze has already started in Flowery Branch, with the Falcons moving to trim down to the NFLs Sunday, 6 p.m. EST deadline. Atlanta has begun its cuts by parting with linebacker Channing Tindall, offensive lineman Brandon Walton and defensive tackle Eric Johnson, a first wave that also included wide receiver Keelan Marion, tight end Josh Simon, guard Jaeden Roberts, tackle Andrew Steuber, defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell, linebacker Daveren Rayner and safety Keidron Smith.
Those names are part of the annual hard part of camp, when depth-chart hopefuls and practice-squad candidates suddenly find themselves on the wrong side of the numbers. More moves are still expected before the deadline, which means the bubble has only gotten hotter for the remaining players trying to survive the final round of roster trimming. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Made A QB Decision Fans Were Hoping For
The early roster picture in Atlanta got a little more interesting when undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Strand survived training camp and cracked the Falcons initial 53-man roster. For a player who arrived without draft-day fanfare, making the cut is a sign the team saw enough in him to keep him around as it sorts out the rest of its quarterback room.
Atlanta is expected to carry four quarterbacks, with Strand joining Cooper Rush, Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. The move also suggests the Falcons were unwilling to take the chance of exposing Strand to waivers, where another team could have claimed him, and that alone says plenty about how much value they see in keeping him close. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Made A Cutdown-Day Move That Changes The D-Line
Amid the final waves of roster trimming, the Falcons added a notable piece to their defensive front by bringing in defensive tackle Gervon Dexter from the Bears in a deal that sent cornerback Clark Phillips II and a fifth-round pick to Chicago. It is the sort of late-summer move that can quietly reshape a depth chart, especially for a team trying to sort out its line while dealing with injuries and locking in the 53-man roster.
Dexter arrives with the kind of pedigree that makes this more than a stopgap swap. A former second-round pick, he gives Atlanta another body inside and a player the staff can plug into the pass rush and the broader defensive rotation as the season approaches. The Falcons have been looking for ways to stabilize that group, and this trade suggests they were willing to spend some value to make the front sturdier now. [Read more 🡒]