Falcon Report

Some Good, Some Bad, Takeaways from Atlanta Falcons 23-20 Loss to Tennessee Titans

The Atlanta Falcons faced off with the Tennessee Titans Friday night. The defense showed promise, while the reserve offensive line remains a concern.
Garrett Chapman|
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Natrone Brooks had an interception in the first half of the Falcons' preseason game against the Titans.
Atlanta Falcons cornerback Natrone Brooks had an interception in the first half of the Falcons' preseason game against the Titans. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Atlanta FalconsTennessee Titans

ATLANTA, Ga – Whether to play or not to play during the preseason is a popular hot-button issue this time of year. While Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan chose to play Cam Ward and several of his starters Friday night, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris stayed the course and sat several starters. 

The score is a bit of an afterthought in preseason games, but the Titans did get the win 23-20 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday night. 

“In the preseason, it's probably a little bit more vanilla,” Morris said earlier this week. “You get really just man-versus-man.” 

The topic is a tired one, though, and the Falcons' starters got several potentially more valuable reps earlier this week in the joint practices with the Titans. 

“[During joint practices], you get some coaches working on some different scheme thing,” he said. “And not everything, but you get more things that you can look at – more un-scouted looks for your offense, for your defense, for your special teams.”

The Falcons’ head coach noted that he got exactly what he wanted out of those sessions with the Titans. 

“[I loved] being able to get some of the unique specialized blitzes from that group,” Morris said Wednesday. “It was absolute brilliance. We got an overload. We identified it wrong up front in our protection, [but] Michael Penix knew exactly where to go with the ball. He threw it out of bounds and saved us from a critical bad play. That might have been the best play of the day. Forget the completions. Just being able to recognize and notice some of those types of things, which really, it fires me up, which you don't get in a preseason game. 

“You would go out there and get normal four-down spacing. You may get a couple off-the-ball ‘backer blitzes, but you don't get anything really unique like we got [Tuesday].”

Morris did leave the door open for a potential Kirk Cousins sighting, but that ultimately did not come to fruition. According to Terrin Waack of the Atlanta Falcons team site, several notable players did not dress for Friday's game. 

Every team approaches the preseason differently, but this Falcons coaching staff has been consistent with their approach. With the final game historically being the one where no starters play, it is unlikely that any starters see game action between now and Week 1. 

Defense Holds Steady Against Ward and Titans Offense 

The Falcons' defense flexed its collective muscle on Friday against Ward and several starters for the Titans. It’s worth noting that wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett did not play, meaning most of Ward’s targets were going to depth players. Running back Tony Pollard also did not play, with Kalel Mullings getting the bulk of the carries early. 

Regardless, the number one overall pick led the first three drives, but struggled to get anything going. The Titans’ only explosive play was when Ward completed a 35-yard pass to Elic Ayomanor, but that was their only first down with him under center. 

Their next two drives both resulted in three-and-outs, gaining just 55 yards.

When Brandon Allen came in, Natrone Brooks picked him off on their opening series after the Titans started picking up some momentum. James Pearce and Kentavius Street both did a fantastic job closing down the pocket and getting pressure on Allen, forcing the errant throw. 

Brooks has played well throughout camp. With the status of Clark Phillips III still unknown, he could still play his way into the 53-man roster. 

Starting for the Falcons on defense were James Pearce Jr and Arnold Ebiketie along the edge. Morgan Fox, LaCale London, Brandon Dorlus, and Ruke Orhorohoro got reps along the defensive interior. JD Bertrand (with the green dot) and Josh Woods started at linebacker. Safeties Xavier Watts and Jordan Fuller started the game playing alongside one another. Also in the secondary were Dee Alford at nickel and Lamar Jackson at outside corner. 

Neither DeMarcco Hellams nor Jalon Walker dressed out. 

Wide Receiver Room Making It Tough 

Casey Washington, who did not play on Friday night, feels like a virtual lock to make the 53-man roster at this point. If practice reps are indicative of where he stands, Washington could even be in line for several starts if Darnell Mooney does not return from injury by Week 1. 

Aside from the second-year Falcon, however, there is a lot less certainty. With Washington not participating, Chris Blair, David Sills V, and Dylan Drummond were featured in the offense early, with all three pulling in a pair of catches on their first two drives. Nick Nash also got a reception.  

Sills, in particular, looked promising on Friday night. He only played the opening series, but he caught both of his targets for 13 yards. If the Falcons choose to keep seven wide receivers, which they may have to if they want to hold on to Sills, he would be the logical choice to keep. 

Not to be forgotten, Stick and Blair connected for a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter. 

This will continue to be one of the more competitive roster battles to watch. Ultimately, it may just come down to how many players the Falcons choose to retain. 

Backup Offensive Line Still Concerning

As a unit, they were better than they were last week against Detroit, but were still largely uninspiring. 

The line gave up a sack on the opening drive that stalled out what was otherwise a strong possession. They also allowed a good bit of pressure at various points in the first half that appeared to mess with Easton Stick’s timing. As a team, the Falcons finished the first half with just 33 yards on the ground (2.5 yards per carry). 

Penalties were a major theme for them. 

Jack Nelson had a pair of holds, Kyle Hinton had a false start, and Elijah Wilkinson had a pair of false starts. Joshua Gray was also hit for ineligible man downfield (albeit on a scramble drill from Stick that he probably should have run for anyway). 

With Storm Norton still being held out with an injury, Elijah Wilkinson moved from guard to tackle. Josh Gray moved into his vacated left guard spot. Tackle Jack Nelson looked better in his run blocking, but still has a way to go before he would be ready to contribute to the team. 

Strong Special Teams Play

Special teams play is one of the many unsung components of a strong football team. Friday’s exhibition indicated that Marquice Williams’ unit is ready to go. 

Punter Bradley Pinion’s first punt was a thing of beauty and was downed inside the Titans’ 10-yard line after landing around the two-yard line. His second punt also landed right at the 10-yard line, but was fair caught. His five punts averaged 51.0 yards, and three were downed inside the 20. 

Kicker Younghoe Koo made his preseason debut with a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter. He also connected on both of his PATs. 

Strong performances on special teams could also net players a spot on the final roster when it’s all said and done. Tight end Teagan Quitoriano, who is on the roster bubble this summer, forced a fumble in coverage while safety Josh Thompson had a pair of nice tackles in coverage. 

OTHER NOTES:

  • Notables who did NOT dress out – Jalon Walker, DeMarcco Hellams, Khalid Kareem, Casey Washington, Ta’Quon Graham (week-to-week with a calf issue picked up this week). 
  • Lamar Jackson seemed to struggle a bit, with those struggles coming to a head on the final drive of the first half. The Titans were picking on him, completing three straight passes on him before their touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm (who pulled it down despite tight coverage from Ronnie Harrison and Jordan Fuller). 
  • With running back Carlos Washington still dealing with his hamstring injury, Nathan Carter got the start and played well. He finished with nine carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Jashaun Corbin also mixed in, but struggled (three carries going for minus-three yards). 
  • After a near mistake-free outing last week, Easton Stick threw a pick-six to DB Kendall Brooks, who returned the interception 51 yards for the touchdown. A second interception was called back due to offsetting penalties. 
  • Bralen Trice, who did not play against the Lions, saw his first game action since tearing his ACL last summer. On his first snap, he was seen blowing up the lead blocker and assisted on a tackle in run defense. 
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Garrett Chapman
GARRETT CHAPMAN

Garrett Chapman is a sports broadcaster, writer, and content creator based in Atlanta. He has several years of experience covering the Atlanta sports scene, college football, Georgia high school football, recruiting for 24/7 Sports, and the NFL. You can also hear him on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.

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