Steelers vs. Falcons Preseason Finale: 5 Storylines to Watch
The Atlanta Falcons are set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, bringing an end to a preseason that's featured plenty of competitiveness, physicality and overall positive signs entering a much-anticipated season.
In the preseason opener, the Falcons took a 19-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins despite opting not to play the starters. The week after, Atlanta rolled out the first team in a 13-13 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals.
What will this week entail? Here are five things to watch when the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Starters to Play?
Falcons coach Arthur Smith didn't make an official announcement during the week, but according to The Athletic's Josh Kendall, a "majority" of the starters aren't expected to suit up.
Smith has touched on how competitive the roster is from top to bottom, leading to difficult decisions as the Falcons will go from 90 players down to 53 by 4 p.m. next Tuesday.
The decision came down to whether Atlanta's coaching staff felt its starters needed another ramp-up at the expense of getting more evaluation and opening up further opportunities for those on the roster bubble.
And, evidently, it appears that Smith and the Falcons decided on the latter, meaning Week 1 will be the next time quarterback Desmond Ridder and other first-team players see the field for a competitive snap.
Miles vs. Mayfield ... Vs. Vrabel?
The Falcons still have several roster spots up for grabs, with positions like swing tackle, nose tackle and the No. 5 receiver and linebacker roles remaining unfilled.
Throughout camp, Josh Miles has been the favorite to win the swing tackle job, having started as the second-team left tackle ... but Miles' uneven play, combined with 2021 third-round pick and former starting left guard's Jalen Mayfield sudden reemergence, has made the fight much closer.
Mayfield drew praise from Smith at the start of camp and has mixed in as the second-team left tackle - but like Miles, he's also had his fair share of struggles, to the extent that the former Michigan standout has worked with the third-team offense at various points of late.
Another potential option is Tyler Vrabel, who's primarily worked as the second-team right tackle and has been in the Falcons' program since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent last year.
By all accounts, it's anybody's game - although Miles and Mayfield appear to be the two biggest challengers. How both perform against Pittsburgh could ultimately determine the outcome.
"Josh, Tyler, Jalen - they’ve all been kind of rotating through," Smith said. "So, it's what competition does, it brings out the best in you and I would think Josh gets a shot this week. He'll get some reps at left tackle and see who can win those backup jobs."
Can Josh Ali Secure No. 5 WR Job?
Atlanta's top four receivers appear set - Drake London, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge and Scotty Miller - but the battle behind them has been tightly contested for the entirety of the summer.
The favorite appears to be Josh Ali, who has a solid rapport with Ridder and has recently seen some first-team snaps in practice.
After Frank Darby's injury and subsequent placement on waivers, Ali's odds of winning the job increased substantially, as he and Darby were neck-and-neck throughout camp.
This preseason, the 24-year-old Ali has four receptions for 53 yards and is fresh off a solid performance against Cincinnati in which he tied for the team lead with three catches for 39 yards.
If the Falcons go a different direction, undrafted rookie Zay Malone is the most likely route, as he's recorded four grabs for a team-high 83 yards and brings an element of speed that only Miller currently has in the wideouts room.
There's also J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who's made three receptions for 59 yards, and a large group of players who've flashed in camp but not been overly productive in the games, including the likes of Keilahn Harris and Slade Bolden.
But ultimately, the job appears to be Ali's to lose ... unless Malone outright wins it with a stellar showing against the Steelers.
Mike Jones Jr. vs. Andre Smith Jr. for Final LB Spot
For nearly the entirety of the summer, the Falcons' top three linebacker spots seemed set with Kaden Elliss, Troy Andersen and Mykal Walker.
Shortly after the start of camp, it became clear that Nate Landman would be on the roster, leaving just one more opening ... and really, Tae Davis appeared to be taking a hold of that vacancy after the first week, meaning the room was largely finalized.
But when the Falcons waived Walker a few days after the preseason opener, another spot became available - and Mike Jones Jr. and Andre Smith Jr. have been locked in a battle of late.
As things stand, the favorite appears to be Smith Jr., a sixth-year pro out of North Carolina who's played in 51 career NFL games. Last season, the 26-year-old made five appearances for the Tennessee Titans and made six special teams tackle, thrice tying for the team lead in the category.
But it's hard not to be impressed with what Jones Jr. has done this preseason; he's been credited with four tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hits while consistently being around the ball.
An undrafted rookie who logged 102 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss across five seasons at Clemson and LSU and was a team captain in Baton Rouge last year, Jones Jr. comes with high-level pedigree and has made a late push this preseason.
That said, Smith Jr. appears to be the favorite ... but with both players poised for productive nights in the middle of Atlanta's defense, the spot is truly up for grab.
Extra Curriculars: Woodside, Hellams & More
With Ridder not playing, expect to see a lot of third-string quarterback Logan Woodside; the last time the Falcons didn't play their starters, backup signal caller Taylor Heinicke never saw the field, and the team needs more tape on Woodside than Heinicke.
Woodside is the Falcons' leading passer this preseason, completing 18 of 29 attempts for 204 yards while taking six sacks.
Atlanta's trying to determine whether it needs to carry a third quarterback with the NFL's new rule of having such a player be able to enter the game if needed, even if they're listed as inactive pre-game ... and Woodside should get the chance to cap off an overall solid preseason with a loud statement.
It's a similar situation for seventh-round rookie safety DeMarcco Hellams, who leads the Falcons in preseason tackles with 12 and has made an interception in each of the first two games. Still in a competition with Micah Abernathy for the No. 4 safety spot, Hellams could use another strong game to only better his odds.
An interesting situation to follow is what the Falcons opt to do on the interior offensive line. Ryan Neuzil has filled the role of backup guard/center since Matt Hennessy was placed on injured reserve, and his roster spot appears to be secured.
But what about Kyle Hinton? A star at D-II Washburn, Hinton has spent the past three seasons on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad. He debuted in Week 18 last year and has received impromptu praise from Smith twice in the last week and a half.
There's been external talk about the Falcons pursuing a free agent to back up rookie left guard Matthew Bergeron, such as former Denver Broncos starter Dalton Risner, but internally, there seems to be a level of faith in Hinton ... which he has a chance to prove right against Pittsburgh.
Another under the radar position battle to monitor comes at nose tackle, where Timmy Horne, last year's starter, is the favorite, but Albert Huggins, who has four tackles, half a sack and two quarterback hits is making a late push. Expect to see both get significant action.
Finally, discipline has been a key subject for Smith this week, as the Falcons are fresh off a dismal showing in the penalty department against Cincinnati during which they were flagged 13 times for 102 yards. The week before, Atlanta committed six penalties for 50 yards.
Last season, the Falcons were the least-penalized team in the league at four per game; there's been a lot more laundry on the field this preseason than Smith would prefer.
During practice, Smith made players who committed penalties run laps, which he's done in years past but brought back for the first time this training camp, and has harped on the need to reduce self-inflicted wounds.
How will it all play out? The answer will be in soon enough - and even though the starters won't be suiting up, there's no shortage of storylines to watch unfold on Thursday night.
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