The Atlanta Falcons are now 0-4 this preseason after a 19-7 loss to the Washington Redksins on Thursday night. It wasn’t all bad, though, as Atlanta’s starting offensive and defensive units both played relatively well. It was their special teams unit that ultimately let them down.
Let’s take a look at five takeaways from the only preseason game that kind of matters.
Matt Ryan and the starting offense played well
The Falcons nearly had their full offensive arsenal available, and we saw glimpses of what they may be capable of this season. Ryan finished 9-of-14 for 74 yards while showing comfort operating Dirk Koetter’s offense.
Ryan got the ball into the hands of his playmakers as Devonta Freeman, Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy and Austin Hooper each recorded at least one catch in about a half of play for the group. They didn’t score as much as they should’ve, partially due to a missed field goal, but they did enough without Julio Jones out there to make one get excited about their potential this season.
Adrian Clayborn was a difference-maker
Atlanta didn’t get the big-name free agent pass rusher fans hoped for in the draft or free agency. They did quietly re-sign Clayborn after his one-year, Super Bowl-winning stint in New England.
Clayborn’s presence was felt right away tonight when he exploded off the edge to hit Case Keenum, forcing an incompletion on third down early on. Later, Clayborn got ahold of Keenum again, nearly forcing a bad pick.
His best play came when he and Deadrin Senat collapsed onto Keenum, forcing yet another bad throw that was picked off by Takkarist McKinley. Clayborn wasn’t the only Falcons defensive lineman who showed out, either. On the inside, defensive tackles Jack Crawford and Grady Jarrett both played at a high level.
Ito Smith was Atlanta’s best RB
Smith averaged 4.6 yards per carry on five attempts and scored his third touchdown of the preseason. When the starters were out there, Smith was the most effective back on the field. He added a single catch for nine yards, and the offense seemed to flow well when he was in the game. The Falcons may have lost do-it-all backup Tevin Coleman to the 49ers in free agency, but Smith looks more than ready to fill that role this season.
Bad game for the kick returners
A fake punt on fourth down was successful for Atlanta on their opening drive, but that ended up being the only real bright spot on special teams. Their kick/punt returners had an abysmal performance.
Rookie Marcus Green muffed a punt early in the third quarter, and the Redskins recovered in Falcons territory. Not to be outdone, fellow rookie return man/wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus muffed the next punt return, which was also recovered by Washington.
Green got another shot in the fourth quarter and showed some good speed on a decent return to the 25-yard line.
The team may end up settling for a veteran such as Justin Hardy or even Calvin Ridley to handle the return specialist duties if none of these young returner options pans out.
It might be time to call Matt Bryant
Atlanta’s presumed starting kicker Giorgio Tavecchio needed a strong game to give Dan Quinn’s coaching staff some confidence and he responded by missing his first attempt from only 39 yards out. The Falcons released the 44-year-old Matt Bryant — one of the best kickers in the league over the past decade — in the offseason.
Bryant was damn good last year, too. He went 20-of-21 on field goals for a 95.2 percent success rate – the best of any season in his illustrious 17-year career.
If Tavecchio doesn’t shape up, it may be time to give Bryant a call before it’s too late.
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