The Falcons may not have suited up 35 of their players, but that didn’t stop the scrappy bunch head coach Dan Quinn put out there from pulling off a 31-12 road win over the Jaguars to close out the preseason.
Here are four takeaways from Atlanta’s final on-field action before the start of the 2019 regular season.
The streak is over
The Falcons had lost twelve consecutive preseason games coming into this one, which is almost impressive when you consider most teams don’t really care about the outcomes. Still, the team needed a win to feel good as they enter the season with a positive vibe. You can’t take away too much from the fourth week of the preseason, but Atlanta had to show a sense of urgency and they finally did that against Jacksonville tonight.
Rookie RBs shine
Tony Brooks-James and Qadree Ollison helped the Falcons get out to an early lead. Ollison put Atlanta on the board with a nine-yard touchdown. Then minutes later, Brooks-James powered through the Jags defense for a 15-yard touchdown. He wouldn’t stop there however, rushing for an impressive 137 yards and two scores on just 15 carries. The Falcons are fortunate to have Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith as their top two running backs, and if anything this game proved how deep they are at this position.
Kickers struggle again
Matt Bryant cannot get here soon enough after Atlanta’s two kickers did little tonight to earn the team’s confidence to be the starting kicker. Giorgio Tavecchio went 0-1 on field goal attempts, but was 3-for-3 on extra points. Blair Walsh wasn’t any better, going 1-for-2 on his field goal tries and hitting his one extra point opportunity. The Falcons will host and probably sign Bryant tomorrow. There couldn’t possibly be a better time for the 44-year-old to prove he should’ve never been released.
Backup QB Danny Etling was solid
Former Patriots quarterback/wide receiver Danny Etling continued to showcase his dual-threat ability in Atlanta’s win. Etling was 15-of-25 for 174 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 94.4. He also added 67 yards on the ground. With Matt Schaub locked in as Matt Ryan’s backup, Etling was really auditioning for all 32 teams tonight. He made the most of his opportunity and hopefully will land somewhere.
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