2 Winners, 2 Losers From Falcons Preseason Loss to Broncos

The Atlanta Falcons were trounced by the Denver Broncos in the first game of the preseason.

Cooper Rush struggled in his Falcons debut | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ATLANTA – The Denver Broncos cruised to a dominant 27-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons during the first week of preseason action, and there were not a whole lot of positives to take from the dismal performance. 

It was an ugly first half in Atlanta, with the Falcons trailing the Broncos 24-0. They were outgained 224-119, punted five times, and picked up a meager six first downs while allowing 14 by the time they hit the locker room. After the sluggish start, some boo birds were heard in the stadium. 

Kevin Stefanski acknowledged in the buildup to the game that his team would have a limited playbook, with the focus shifting to fundamentals and technique. While the Falcons settled in during the second half, they did little to sway the bad first impression from the first two quarters. 

Now that the first game is in the books, let’s take a look at the winners and losers. 

Loser – Quarterbacks

The Falcons started Tua Tagovailoa in this game, and it was a big opportunity for the veteran to establish some distance between himself and incumbent starter Michael Penix Jr. Unfortunately, he struggled to move the ball and had this ugly dropped snap that snuffed out the opening drive of the game. 

Tua fumbles the snap pic.twitter.com/hP5rsAzKom

— ATLSportsAlert (@404SportsGang) August 14, 2026

Tagovailoa finished 3-of-5 for 22 yards. The Falcons' offense picked up just one first down and 24 yards over eight plays. He had the chance to take this competition by the horns, but didn't. 

“I’ve got to be better for our guys offensively,” Tagovailoa said after the game.  With this being preseason, that gives you no excuse to go put a performance like that on tape. Not satisfied, not happy at all.”

Cooper Rush, in particular, struggled. He relieved Tagovailoa in the first half and threw a pair of first-half interceptions that led to 14 points for the Broncos, including one that went 97 yards for a touchdown.

.@Broncos 98-YARD PICK-6 😱

Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/CySM9DqSEG

— NFL (@NFL) August 15, 2026

UDFA Jack Strand was easily the best of the three, leading a touchdown drive on a short field after a Broncos turnover inside their own 20. Strand finished 6-of-12 for 50 yards. He wasn’t asked to do much, but he did not put the offense in poor position as badly as the two guys in front of him. 

Winner – Michael Penix Jr. 

Tua Tagovailoa’s perceived advantage shrank after his sluggish performance on Friday night, while the anticipation for Michael Penix Jr.’s eventual clearance got a shot in the arm. Penix has participated in practices all summer, but not in any team drills. His clearance could come within the next two weeks, and he will travel with the team to Indianapolis next week, but it will likely be after their second preseason game. 

Despite not being healthy enough to take team reps with the team, the Falcons still see a path to him being the Week 1 starter. Friday night did nothing to change that perception. 

Winner – Special teams

On a night where there weren’t many winners to go around, the Falcons’ special teams unit did its job. They had five punts pin the Broncos inside their 20-yard line and allowed just 11 return yards (rookie Michael DeWalt IV was a standout as a gunner here). Jake Bailey averaged 49.5 yards per attempt, getting some good air under his punts, while Matthew Hayball averaged 44.8 on his. 

On the other end, Vinny Anthony II, Tyler Goodson, and Olamide Zaccheaus split kick return responsibilities and got plenty of work. They averaged 28.8 yards per return, while Zachariah Branch handled the lone Broncos punt of the game and looked shifty.

The Falcons’ special teams unit was among the NFL’s worst in 2025, so the good performance is one small positive the team can take from the otherwise frustrating first game. 

Loser – Offensive Tackles

Michael Jerrell was the first right tackle out there for the Falcons tonight, and Ethan Onianwa and Brandon Walton followed him. None of them looked particularly solid, and they were largely pushed around by the Broncos' edge rushers. 

Jawaan Taylor is the presumed starter, but has been slowly integrating into the offense after recovering from an offseason injury. The Falcons will hope to get a better look at him during their crossover practices with the Colts this week, and then again during their third preseason game.  

Jake Matthews played just the first series of the game, but was replaced by Jerrell on the left side. Wanya Morris made an appearance in the second half at tackle, but was not memorable. 

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