Senior Reporter
ATLANTA \u2014 Generally preseason video games do not give us a lot data to work with. That was not the case within the Falcons’ first preseason recreation towards the Detroit Lions Friday evening.
The sport was finally minimize quick due to a severe harm to Lions security Morice Norris firstly of the fourth quarter. All reports from the Lions organization are that Norris is doing well<\/a> and averted something severe, which is the most effective information anybody might have hoped for following the incident.
With that stated, previous to the incident, we had been studying fairly a bit about the place the Falcons’ roster finds itself on the start of the preseason<\/a>. With so many people vying not just for roster spots however for beginning spots, there have been gamers who had been transferring and shaking their means by way of the roster within the aftermath of Friday’s play.
Tori McElhaney takes a take a look at those that she believes made the most important jumps on the roster \u2014 each up and down it as joint practices loom with the Tennessee Titans this week.
Since being drafted 4 years in the past, Malone is somebody who has struggled to discover a good match. He was drafted below the guise of being a flexible piece, however whether or not or not it’s the adjustments in defensive scheme yearly, or coaches discovering it onerous to position him wherever defensively, he is gotten misplaced within the shuffle. He is nonetheless carried out properly for Atlanta on particular groups, however the worth past that was questionable.
Friday’s recreation confirmed, nevertheless, that there’s extra worth to Malone than what was beforehand established. Because the tail finish of final season, Malone started cross coaching as an inside linebacker together with nonetheless getting just a few conventional edge seems to be. His means to step into the within linebacker place just isn’t solely good for him, however good for the Falcons.
Final season’s accidents to the within linebacker corp created the need to construct depth on the place. Lingering accidents to Troy Andersen and harm historical past of JD Bertrand has carried that notion into this preseason. Enter Malone, who took all of his first-half reps at inside linebacker alongside Josh Woods. Although Woods had the inexperienced dot and was calling the protection, Malone held his personal on the spot. He completed with 5 mixed tackles, barely behind Woods on the defensive staff leaderboard.
By the beginning of the second half, the Falcons had moved Malone again to the defensive entrance, coming off the sting. His versatility and the way in which the Falcons are deploying him by way of observe to get reps at each positions skyrockets his significance on this 53-man roster, in my view.
Hellams returned with a vengeance, did not he? After a yr off the turf due to an harm sustained in final season’s first preseason recreation towards Miami, you could not miss Hellams on Friday evening. He was in every single place, showcasing the physicality that earned him the nickname “Bamm-Bamm” by his teammates.<\/a>
As we’ve mentioned all all through coaching camp, Hellams is properly within the battle for a beginning job alongside Jessie Bates III. He is actively competing with Jordan Fuller and Xavier Watts. And of the three, it was Hellams who had the loudest and most notable efficiency Friday. How does that shake out the competitors? If something, I feel it makes it much more heightened as joint practices get underway this week. For this particular place battle, this week could be the one we flip to when discussing who solidified themselves previous to Week 1.
When Raheem Morris introduced that neither Michael Penix Jr. nor Kirk Cousins would play in Friday’s recreation, I can be trustworthy that I did not suppose a lot of the quarterback scenario past that. And that was my mistake, or perhaps, it simply left me pleasantly stunned by Stick’s efficiency within the first half Friday. I dubbed it a “sneakily strong outing,” as a result of hastily I seemed up and we had been within the waning minutes of the second quarter and Stick’s stat line was fairly dang good.
He completed his night 15-of-18 by way of the air, accumulating 149 passing yards and tossing one landing. Maybe as a result of the run recreation by no means obtained going (extra on that later) I assumed too rapidly that your complete offensive efficiency was a wash. That wasn’t the case. In truth, wanting again, Stick was spectacular in his reliability. He managed a really clear operation \u2014 one thing that’s troublesome to do in a preseason setting. All of this understanding that within the week main as much as the primary preseason recreation, Stick obtained only a few reps. In Wednesday’s scrimmage, he obtained a pair sequence to get right into a circulation. The majority of his workload \u2014 I might argue \u2014 in complete got here in Friday’s first half. The very fact he managed a efficiency so clear and with out many errors is a testomony to him and what the Falcons have in him.
If there was a doubt whether or not the Falcons would carry three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, I feel Stick received me over Friday to maintain a spot open for him.
I’m not going to lie, the Falcons’ wrestle to run the ball Friday evening involved me. And sure, I do know this wasn’t the beginning offensive line on the market, nor was Bijan Robinson or Tyler Allgeier working the rock. And sure, I additionally know the sport was minimize quick.
Nonetheless, I anticipated extra consistency from a gaggle that truly had just a few items returning to it.
In complete, the Falcons ran the ball 11 occasions for 22 yards \u2014 a median of two yards per carry. The longest run got here from Emory Jones, which was a 9-yard scramble. Whereas I do not suppose a shortened, singular preseason recreation is sufficient to warrant absolute concern for the group, I do suppose it offers me pause.
I assume the counterargument to that’s that the cross recreation \u2014 notably with Stick in \u2014 was churning a bit extra manufacturing. And for essentially the most half, Stick was protected properly. The bread and butter of this staff all through the previous few years has been its means to constantly run the ball. Not seeing the second-team have the ability to take action towards the Lions Friday is one thing that deserves monitoring.
I’ll preface this part by noting Phillips is harm and hasn’t practiced since taking a tough hit in Tuesday’s indoor observe. That stated, even earlier than his harm I used to be involved with how little I used to be speaking about him and the way a lot I used to be speaking about Natrone Brooks.
Brooks has been a standout in camp, a lot in order that even somebody like Kaden Elliss stated Brooks is the participant who’s embodied Jeff Ulbrich’s “coronary heart, thoughts, fist” mantra. Brooks continued to point out worth within the reside seems to be he obtained as one of many second-team corners. Between Brooks and Lamar Jackson, is Phillips getting misplaced within the shuffle?
Earlier within the spring, Raheem Morris stated the Falcons deliberate on transferring Phillips to nickel. Nicely, we’re weeks into coaching camp and I do not suppose I’ve seen Phillips take one snap from the slot. That is Dee Alford and Billy Bowman Jr.’s race. Heck, even Mike Ford has gotten some seems to be on the spot.
So, the place does that go away Phillips? At this level, I’m not certain, and I’m beginning to get involved about what his spot \u2014 and position \u2014 on this roster actually seems to be like.
Have a look contained in the Atlanta Falcons’ locker room throughout Preseason Week 1 towards the Detroit Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In flip, Atlanta launched an offensive lineman and positioned a security on injured reserve.
Lions security Morice Norris was rushed to the hospital firstly of the fourth quarter of Friday evening’s preseason recreation in Atlanta.\u00a0
The Falcons’ 2025 preseason opener towards the Detroit Lions was suspended earlier than it was accomplished.\u00a0
The veteran is a vital issue for an Atlanta protection trying to find stability on the sting.
The Falcons host the Lions for his or her 2025 preseason opener inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Your one-stop store for all issues Atlanta Falcons information you will have missed this week.\u00a0
Who stood out? Which camp battles are heating up? Tori McElhaney solutions your questions.\u00a0
The protection is again from a season-ending harm sustained in final yr’s preseason opener.
Atlanta lists the Invoice Walsh Fellowship contributors for the 2025 offseason and coaching camp intervals.\u00a0
Michael Penix Jr. will not play Friday, however he actually obtained game-like reps Wednesday.
Atlanta will play its first preseason recreation on Friday towards the Detroit Lions in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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