Falcons Tie vs. Bengals in Hectic Preseason Finish
It's beginning to feel like a lot like football season inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the Atlanta Falcons (1-0-1) took it one step further on Friday night, playing their starters for the first time this preseason in a 13-13 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals (0-1-1).
Atlanta's first team netted solid returns, with quarterback Desmond Ridder guiding a 15-play, 78-yard drive that ultimately ended with a pass being deflected into the air off receiver Scotty Miller and intercepted near the goal line.
But bad-break turnover aside, the Falcons' offense showed plenty of positives, with Ridder going seven of nine for 80 yards and the team's last three first-round picks - tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson - all making splash plays.
Both Pitts and Robinson hauled in one-handed catches, with the latter adding four carries for 20 yards, including a 12-yard rush on his first attempt. London made two grabs for 31 yards, including an impressive leaping haul down the sideline.
It was also a good showing for receiver Mack Hollins on debut, as the former Las Vegas Raiders standout and projected No. 2 wideout recorded two catches for 20 yards.
Defensively, Atlanta's starters allowed a ten-play, 57-yard drive to the Bengals' reserves during which backup quarterback Trevor Siemian completed four of his five pass attempts for 31 yards but saw the drive end as cornerback Dee Alford had good coverage downfield on a 4th and 2 try.
There were plenty of flashes from new additions, including two tackles and a pressure from defensive lineman Calais Campbell, a key third down tackle from safety Jessie Bates, and four tackles from linebacker Kaden Elliss.
After getting the fourth-down stop on the first play of the second quarter, the Falcons turned things over to the second team on both offense and defense.
There, backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke made his Falcons debut; the results were mixed, with the former Washington Commanders signal caller making a number of impressive throws but also put the ball in danger a handful of times. Heinicke finished 13 of 21 for 162 yards and took two sacks while leading a pair of scoring drives.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Falcons led 10-6 and appeared to have a strong grasp on the game with inside of five minutes to play; Atlanta received points by way of a 36-yard field goal from Younghoe Koo in the second quarter and a one-yard touchdown run from undrafted rookie Carlos Washington Jr., while the Bengals had field goals of 50 and 31 yards, respectively from Evan McPherson.
Inside the final minute, both sides made big plays, with Bengals rookie running back Chase Brown punching in a go-ahead touchdown from three yards out with just 50 seconds to play.
The Falcons quickly responded, with third-string quarterback Logan Woodside leading a brief six-play, 48-yard drive to get Koo into field goal range, where he connected on a 45-yard field goal to tie the game at 13 all with two seconds to play, effectively ending the contest.
Prior to Koo's kick, Woodside targeted undrafted rookie receiver Zay Malone in the endzone and appeared to have an opportunity for a game-winning touchdown but saw the pass fall incomplete.
Heinicke was Atlanta's leading passer, while Godwin Igwebuike led the charge on the ground with 14 carries for 61 yards. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Josh Ali spearheaded the receivers group, the former posting two catches for 39 yards and the latter putting up three grabs for 39 yards.
Defensively, undrafted rookie corner Natrone Brooks was the leading tackler with six, adding a tackle for loss. Seventh-round safety DeMarcco Hellams had five tackles and an interception, while both linebacker Andre Smith and defensive lineman LaCale London each had one tackle for loss.
Defensive linemen Delontae Scott and Justin Ellis, both late signees, combined for a sack and were credited with half a sack each.
The Falcons will return to action on Thursday night, hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST.
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