The Atlanta Falcons turned the ball over twice and still went into halftime with a 17-6 lead, which says a lot more about the Dolphins than it does the Falcons. Then things got predictably slow and ugly.
Atlanta’s offensive gameplan seemed to be heavily predicated on screens and short passes, and that had the dual effect of not revealing much of what Atlanta plans to get up to on offense this year and making this something of a slog. Tua Tagovailoa’s fumbled snap, Brian Robinson’s fumble, and a comically tipped and bobbled Jack Strand pass that was intercepted made for an ugly night, even if the Falcons were very obviously if narrowly the better team against Miami’s reserves. The defense got plenty of pressure and did a nice job against the run all night, but saw the cornerbacks implode a bit to give Miami a real shot at climbing back into this one.
Ultimately, the defensive effort up front and just enough offense combined to give Atlanta a 17-12 win, but that’s the less important result. The more important one is that the Falcons have enough information between these games and training camp to make the roster decisions they must make before Sunday at 6 p.m., especially at spots like running back, inside linebacker, and cornerback where the decisions might have been tougher before Friday night.
Here’s the drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.
1st Quarter
Jalen Reagor took the kickoff to about the 25 yard line, but an illegal formation call on the Dolphins backed them up immediately. A quick pass to Chris Bell picked up about five yards on a comeback route working against A.J. Terrell. A handoff to Carlos Washington Jr. (former Falcon sighting!) lost multiple yards after Samson Ebukam hit him. Cam Miller scrambled for a first down, but a penalty backed the Dolphins up 10 yards. Miller then ran backwards away from pressure and threw it away, with Brandon Dorlus almost getting him. The punt saw a nice return from Zachariah Branch that got the Falcons close to midfield.
Tua Tagovailoa took the field as the starting quarterback and hit Jahan Dotson for a first down. Brian Robinson Jr. was swallowed up on the secnod down carry for no gain. A penalty backed the Falcons up to 2nd and 17, and then Tua hit Kyle Pitts over the middle for six yards. On 3rd and 11, Pitts took a screen almost to the 10 yard line for 37 yards. Robinson then took it about seven yards through contact. Robinson then took it again and picked up the first down. On first down, Tua rolled away from pressure but had to throw it away. On second down, though, Robinson pushed his way through to the end zone to make it 7-0 Falcons.
Miller hit Jalen Tolbert, who made an impressive 19 yard leaping grab. Cameron Thomas then sacked Miller on first down. Miller then ran up the middle and slid to gain back the lost yardage. Miller then hit Bell over the middle for 18 yards. Washington then picked up three yards. Miller then threw it too low for Reagor, and then Mike Hughes and DeMarcco Hellams combined to knock out a pass to Bell. The field goal attempt was good to make it 7-3 Falcons.
The kick went out of bounds, giving the Falcons the ball at the 40. Unfortunately, Tua couldn’t get his hands on the snap and fumbled it, giving the Dolphins the ball around the 35.
Miller threw a floater that Bell nearly reeled in on the sideline, with CJ Henderson working in coverage. A quick pass to Tolbert picked up six or so yards but Henderson was there to wrestle him out of bounds. Miller then almost threw a pick as Mike Hughes and DeMarcco Hellams arrived. The field goal was blocked by Chris Williams, who made a hell of a leap.
A quick Tua pass to Brian Robinson went for eight yards. Then he hit Pitts over the middle and Pitts high stepped away from a tackle for a first down and much more. A quick sideline ball to Jahan Dotson went for about seven yards, and a penalty on Miami was declined. A false start on Jawaan Taylor backed the Falcons up. A quick pass from Tua to Dotson went for another first. Unfortunately, Robinson fumbled on the next carry and the Dolphins recovered.
Miller missed badly on first down. Washington got six yards on second down. Miller then tried to run and did not make it to the first down marker.
2nd Quarter
Dylan Drummond returned the punt for a handful of yards. Then a quick pass from Cooper Rush went for five yards, and a handoff to Tyler Goodson went nowhere. The Falcons did not pick up a first down on the next play. Punt.
A false start backed the Dolphins up. Miller then tried to roll out and Jammie Robinson got him. Washington then took a toss and got upended after about four yards. Miller held on to the ball too long and Harold Perkins Jr. got him with the sack as the ball squirted out of bounds. Punt.
Cooper Rush got away from pressure and hit Jack Velling for a first down. Goodson was stymied on first down. Then Rush hit Nick Muse just short of a first down, and the run was stuffed. A fourth down pass to Chris Blair was good for a first down. Rush then hit Nate Carter for a very small gain. Rush under pressure threw it very low and Blair scooped it for a first down. A quick pass to Goodson picked up five yards. Rush then folled out and hit Vinny Anthony for a first down. Goodson then pushed his way down to the three yard line. Rush then threw it a little behind a tumbling Drummond for an incompletion. On third down, though, Rush hit Jack Velling over the middle for a touchdown to make it 14-3 Falcons.
Reagor then got back to almost midfield on the return. Miller then completed a pass over the middle for a first down. A toss to Washington went for about two yards. A quick throw to Tolbert picked up four yards. Miller then had the pass dropped with Henderson hitting him. Riley Patterson juuuuust hit the 45 yard field goal try to make it 14-6 Falcons.
Goodson took it across the 30, but a penalty backed up the return. Rush patted it and then hit Drummond for about five yards. Rush then ran away from pressure and just missed Velling to the sideline. Rush under pressure tried to hit Blair and just missed him. Punt, and it was a beauty from Bailey to prevent much of a return.
Miller was almost sacked on first down by Christian Harris. Miller was under a ton of pressure on second down and then nearly threw a pick. Another incompletion followed, and then it was punt time. Bradley Pinion’s punt went out of bounds.
Cooper Rush then threw a low pass that Anthony tried to reel in but just couldn’t. Rush then got Velling for about eight yards over the middle. Rush then hit Blair again for a first down. Then Rush finally uncorked one after a lot of short passes, hitting Goodson in stride, with Goodson hitting a nice spin move and spiking it to set up the field goal try Nick Folk easily hit. 17-6 Falcons.
3rd Quarter
The punt was muffed, but recovered. Jack Strand handed it to Nate Carter for a good pickup, but a penalty on Atlanta backed things up. Strand then hit Keelan Marion for about six yards. Strand followed that up with a very quick pass to Muse for a couple of yards. Strand then tried to get away from pressure and was sacked on third down. Punt.
Washington made it nowhere on first down. Under pressure, new quarterback Mark Gronowski rolled away and threw it away. Gronowski then threw a pretty downfield ball and Terrace Marshall simply got leverage on Cobee Bryant to make the big grab. Gronowski then hit Tolbert for another first down, this one against Clark Phillips (who also got called for a pass interference call). Washington then picked up about six yards. Washington then almost picked up the first down and then almost got it again. On fourth down, Washington powered through before Phillips finally got him. Washington then tried to get a touchdown but was stymied at the one yard line. Then Washington was hit by Josh Woods and Carlos Allen Jr. on second down. Gronowski then threw it a bit low and the receiver couldn’t get it. A false start by the Dolphins backed them up, and they settled for the field goal. 17-9 Falcons.
Carter picked up three yards, and then made a couple defenders miss en route to another six yards. Strand then tried the sneak and came up just short. Punt, but a five yard penalty brought Bailey back out.
Gronowski got Reagor for a first down. That was followed by a one yard run. Gronowski then got blocking and went for a first down. Then Gronowski had a pass simply doink off a receiver’s hands, followed by a one yard run. Gronowski then ran for a first down again. The Dolphins then picked up a yard.
4th Quarter
Gronowski then threw for about seven yards. A faked handoff and scramble was stopped cold after a yard or two. Then there was a fumbled snap that Josh Woods recovered. Falcons ball.
A two yard gain beget a Strand pass to Cash Jones for seven yards. The third down carry went nowhere, and the team punted again.
A quick loss was offset by Falcons’ defensive holding. The subsequent first down run went nowhere, and a quick pass over the middle picked up six yards that moved back owing to an illegal formation call. A quick screen then went for a huge gain after multiple Falcons missed their shots. A fake handoff and deep shot fell incomplete after Reagor lost it, though he handily beat Malcolm DeWalt IV on the play. A quick run only picked up three yards. GroThe nowski was run out of bounds after losing a yard on a run. Punt.
Strand hit Antwane Wells Jr. for a first down, but a penalty backed things up. Strand then hit Anthony for about six yards over the middle. His next pass went off Nate Carter’s hands, was tipped off another Miami defender’s hands, and ultimately picked off.
On first down, Gronowski tried to run and James Pearce Jr. got him for no gain. Washington then got a yard or two. Gronowski then tried to run again and was taken down by Pearce again. The field goal try was good, making it 17-12 Falcons.
Vinny Anthony had a huge return, getting past midfield and further cementing his case for a spot. After a nothing first down, Strand then slid for a yard with nobody open and hit Wells for a first down. The Falcons then picked up nothing on the first down handoff to Jones. Strand then rolled out and hit Velling for about seven yards. Strand then faked the handoff and ran it for a first down. The Falcons then kneeled it out.
