Atlanta’s second preseason game comes with a different kind of pressure point: not for the starters, who won’t be out there, but for the players trying to make the roster math work in their favor. Kevin Stefanski told reporters a couple weeks ago he would not play his starters in Week 2 of the preseason, instead treating the joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts as the week’s reps. So Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis becomes a clean stage for rookies and bubble players to show what they can do.
There’s plenty to watch, but four names stand out.
Jack Strand got the kind of first preseason outing that can matter in a crowded quarterback room. The undrafted rookie was Atlanta’s most impressive quarterback against the Denver Broncos last week, even if the standard was low.
He now has a chance to build on that and make more ground on veteran backup Cooper Rush in the QB3 battle behind Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix. The matchup helps, too: the Colts gave up more passing yards than any other AFC team last season, which gives Strand a real chance to put some highlights on film.
Cash Jones barely had time to show what he can do in the opener, but that makes him one of the more interesting names this week. Atlanta’s run game was quiet against Denver, and Jones didn’t get on the field until the end once the game had already been decided. With nobody at running back really separating last week, there’s room for him to close the gap on Tyler Goodson and Nathan Carter for the leftover reps when Bijan Robinson or Brian Robinson are off the field.
Sydney Brown was one of the defense’s brighter spots against the Broncos, and the tackle total backed it up. The cornerback tied linebacker Josh Woods for a team-high six tackles, and now he has a chance to push for more serious consideration. Brown, a former third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, could be in line for starter reps while nickelback Billy Bowman remains on the PUP list and top draft pick Avieon Terrell is also banged up.
Azeez Ojulari fits into a deeper competition up front. Atlanta’s edge rush group has gotten crowded with Za’Darius Smith now in the mix, even with Jalon Walker and James Pearce unavailable.
Ojulari, one of several free-agent additions at the position, had a solid first showing against Denver, recording half a sack and one of the team’s four quarterback hits. Another strong performance could move him up another spot in the rotation.
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 🡒]