The Falcons’ first preseason look under Kevin Stefanski didn’t just raise eyebrows - it put his biggest decision under a harsh spotlight.
Atlanta opened with a 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos, and the offense never came close to finding a rhythm. The Falcons finished with fewer than 200 total yards, averaged just 3.2 yards per play and were beaten badly in the first-down battle, with Denver finishing with twice as many.
That kind of outing makes Stefanski’s decision to hand play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees look a whole lot riskier. Rees, not Stefanski, is set to be the one running the offense, and the early returns already resemble the kind of problem Atlanta was trying to avoid after the Zac Robinson debacle.
Rees has been in this spot before. He took over play-calling duties from Stefanski in Week 10 of 2025, and the results weren’t pretty.
Over the final nine games of that stretch, the Browns averaged 17 points per game, topped 25 points only once and went 3-6. The source of the struggles was a mix of poor quarterback play and weak personnel, but the numbers still didn’t show an offense taking off.
That’s what makes this latest move so hard to square. Stefanski has a far more established résumé as a play-caller, yet he chose to hand the keys to a 34-year-old assistant whose best work calling plays came in college. Atlanta’s offense also isn’t exactly lacking talent, with four All-Pro caliber players on the roster, which only adds to the skepticism around the decision.
The logic behind chasing the next young offensive mind has taken over the league, but this setup still feels like a stretch. Rees may be the voice in charge right now, but the preseason opener made it clear the Falcons have a long way to go before this arrangement looks justified.
For now, the pressure sits squarely on Stefanski’s choice. If Atlanta is going to move forward, Rees has to clean it up fast - or Stefanski may have to take the play sheet back himself.
In Other News...
Simone Biles Turned Falcons-Colts Into A Sideline Talking Point
Simone Biles appearance at the Colts preseason game against the Falcons added a little extra star power to an otherwise routine August matchup. She was there to support her husband, safety Jonathan Owens, who signed a one-year deal with Indianapolis in March and handled the kind of quiet opening-night workload that usually gets lost in the shuffle of preseason football.
For Atlanta, the sightline mattered as much as the snap counts. Biles has been back in the public eye after recovering from a serious health emergency that required hospitalization, and her presence on the sideline turned a standard exhibition game into a talking point well beyond the box score. Owens finished with one tackle, but the bigger moment may have been the attention his wife brought to a game the Falcons otherwise would have moved past quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Trade Is Creating A Defensive Ripple Few Fans Saw Coming
Sydney Brown has already turned into one of the more intriguing additions in Falcons camp after Atlanta brought him over from Philadelphia in a trade that also sent multiple draft picks back the other way. The safety has flashed at both safety and nickel cornerback, giving the coaching staff a versatile piece to sort through as the team continues sorting out its defensive back end.
Ian Cunninghams deal may be producing even more value than Atlanta first expected, thanks to the draft capital that came back in the package. Those picks became Harold Perkins Jr. and Kendal Daniels, and both have made early impressions during training camp and preseason work, creating a ripple effect that has quietly added competition and depth across the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Backups Just Changed The Feel Of Several Roster Battles
The Falcons left Indianapolis with a preseason win and, just as important, a deeper look at the players trying to pry open roster spots. After a week of joint practices, Atlantas backups carried plenty of the load in a 34-6 victory over the Colts, with Tyler Goodson bursting for a 49-yard rushing touchdown and both Cooper Rush and Jack Strand directing scoring drives. For a roster in the middle of sorting out its depth, that kind of showing can matter as much as the final score.
Atlantas defense helped keep the night firmly in the Falcons control, holding Indianapolis under 200 yards and out of the end zone. Those kinds of performances tend to sharpen competition on the fringes of the roster, especially when reserves make the case that they can handle more than just late-game snaps. The broader picture now is less about the preseason result itself and more about which of these performances will carry real weight when the team has to make its cuts. [Read more 🡒]