The Falcons left Indianapolis with a convincing 34-6 win Saturday, and while the scoreboard won’t decide much in late August, the performance gave a few players a real boost as the team heads into the final week of preseason action. With roster spots still very much in play and Friday night looming as the last checkpoint before Sunday’s cuts, every snap is carrying extra weight.
No one helped himself more than undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Strand. He entered at the end of the first half and immediately jump-started the Falcons’ offense, leading the first of three scoring drives he would direct on the day.
Strand finished 12-of-17 for 212 yards and two total touchdowns, enough to get plenty of attention online and put more pressure on the quarterback battle. He’s competing with 32-year-old Cooper Rush, who responded well on Friday by going 10-of-11 for 86 yards after a rough opening week.
Rush still has the experience edge that NFL coaches tend to value, but Strand brings rare size at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, along with the arm strength that keeps him in the conversation.
Strand isn’t polished yet, but he’s making it harder to ignore him.
Cash Jones also made a strong case for himself. The former Georgia Bulldogs third-down back caught Strand’s touchdown and continued to show why the Falcons have kept him in the mix as a multi-purpose weapon.
On Friday, he led the team with four catches for 62 yards and that score, while adding 41 rushing yards on seven carries. Jones has also chipped in on special teams, which helps his case, though he still has a steep climb with three established backs ahead of him on the depth chart.
On the defensive side, Carlos Allen Jr. kept building momentum. He logged a tackle for loss and helped create pressure in the Colts’ passing game, with most of his work coming in the first half.
For an undrafted rookie, that kind of showing matters. He still has veterans in front of him, but a practice-squad spot looks like a realistic outcome.
Tyler Goodson also made his presence felt against his former team. His 49-yard touchdown run in the first half was the play that stood out most, and teammates were there to greet him in the end zone.
Goodson finished with 59 yards on six carries, while Nathan Carter posted 42 yards on 17 carries. Goodson’s speed and versatility should help on special teams, and he appears to have the inside track as the reserve behind Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr.
The quarterback situation, though, remains the most unsettled part of the picture. The veteran who had been viewed as the front-runner all summer saw that lead shrink as struggles piled up, especially with Michael Penix Jr. now cleared to return to practice on Saturday after rehabbing from a torn ACL.
With less than three weeks before the Falcons open in Pittsburgh in Week 1, the team still needs to settle on a starter. Stefanski does not seem eager to rush the call, but it would be surprising if the decision doesn’t come after this week.
If Penix comes back strong, the incumbent starter could be in real danger of losing the job.
There’s also movement in the linebacker room. The Falcons’ free-agency pickup is no longer a locked-in answer next to Divine Deablo, with rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. pushing their way into the picture.
Daniels, in particular, has stood out enough to wear the green dot during practices while Deablo has been out, a sign the staff is becoming more comfortable with him. Harris also stayed in the game deep into Friday’s action, which is not always a great omen.
He should still have a role on the defense, but his starting spot is far from secure.
In Other News...
Falcons Sideline Moment Put James Pearce Jr. Back In Spotlight
James Pearce Jr. has spent most of this summer under an unwanted spotlight, and the Falcons pass rusher found himself back in it during a recent preseason game. Even while serving an eight-game suspension beginning Aug. 30 for violating the NFLs Personal Conduct Policy after a February domestic dispute and related felony charges, he remains allowed to take part in preseason practices and games, keeping him around the team while his regular-season future waits in the background.
During the broadcast, Pearce was seen heading into a sideline medical tent with an empty jug and later emerging with it partially filled, a brief and awkward moment that quickly drew attention online. For Atlanta, it was another reminder that one of its most talked-about young defenders is still part of the conversation for reasons that have little to do with football, even as the team tries to move toward the season with the suspension looming. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Strand Is Suddenly Making The Falcons Bet Look Very Real
Jack Strand is giving the Falcons an early return on a decision that looked risky when they passed on drafting a quarterback and instead brought in the undrafted rookie from Minnesota State-Morehead. Working with Kevin Stefanski, Strand has turned a quiet summer into a legitimate conversation, and his preseason progress has started to make Atlantas approach look far more intentional than improvisational.
His most eye-catching moment came against the Colts, when he completed 12 of 17 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns. It is still early, but Strand has shown enough command and production to make the Falcons feel like they may have found more than just a camp arm, and the next step will be seeing whether that progress keeps holding up once the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Bubble Players Just Made Final Roster Cuts A Lot Harder
The Falcons 34-6 win over the Colts in their second preseason game did more than pad the scoreboard. It gave several players on the roster bubble a timely chance to stand out, and they took advantage of it with performances that should at least make the front office pause before the final cuts arrive.
Vinny Anthony II, Malcolm DeWalt IV, JD Bertrand, Keshawn Banks and Michael Jerrell all found ways to help their case, whether through steady play or noticeable impact in a game that tilted heavily Atlantas way. For a team still sorting out the back end of the roster and practice squad, those kinds of reps can carry real weight, especially when the evaluation board is getting thinner by the day. [Read more 🡒]