With the halfway point of the preseason behind us now, it is time for starters to see some more time and a few schemes to be dialed in. The Washington Redskins will travel to Atlanta on Thursday to take on the Falcons in preseason Week 3.
With this matchup on tap, Redskins Wire took the opportunity to sit down and hold a Q&A with Falcons Wire managing editor Tim Weaver.
Redskins Wire: Tevin Coleman was lost in free agency, but the trio of Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman are still going strong. Do you expect those three stars to continue to be near the top of the league in production, or have we seen the best of the Falcons offense so far?
Tim Weaver: It’s going to be pretty hard for this offense to ever top what it did in 2016. That group, led by Kyle Shanahan, ranked No. 7 all time in points scored, even better than the 2000 Rams. That said, this is probably the best skill group that Matt Ryan has ever had. Julio is Julio, but defenses also have to contend with Calvin Ridley, Mohamed Sanu and Austin Hooper, who was a Pro Bowler last year. If Freeman can get back to where he was from 2015-2016, then it’s going to be an elite offense, as long as the offensive line isn’t a total disaster.
RW: As we enter the back half of the preseason, more starters will see some time, albeit limited, of course. Are there any starters who you are looking to see something special from on Thursday?
TW: The starting safeties, Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, are two players who we will be watching closely. Last week was their first game back since season-ending injuries last September. When those two are healthy and on the field, Atlanta is a much different team. In 2017, they had a top-10 defense. Neal especially is a game-changer; he’s a big hitter in the same mold as Kam Chancellor, but he can also play almost any DB spot, so getting him back is massive.
RW: What about the backups? What are some position battles that we can key in on to try and determine a winner?
TW: Right tackle and left guard are the two most important position battles for the Falcons right now. The front office went all out to improve the line this offseason, and their top two free agent signings and first two draft picks were all linemen. For left guard, Jamon Brown has to play better than he did last week or James Carpenter could win that competition once he returns from his hip injury. At right tackle, rookie Kaleb McGary has been out due to a heart procedure. Ty Sambrailo has not done well, so now Matt Gono is going to get a chance at that spot.
RW: Who has been one player so far this preseason that has put himself into a good position to make the 53-man roster cut?
TW: Linebacker Jermaine Grace is probably the big standout as far as guys who are on the roster bubble. They have been thin at that spot but he’s played pretty well so far. Defensive back Chris Cooper is another one who has shined. They’re missing a couple slot cornerbacks right now, so he has a great chance to prove that he deserves a roster spot.
RW: It is far from important, but who do you see winning this game, and why?
TW: Well, the Falcons have lost 11 straight preseason games, so picking them would not make a whole lot of sense. Some coaches care about winning these games, some don’t. Dan Quinn is clearly in the latter camp. He uses the second half to evaluate rookies and roster depth, so they usually tend to fall behind after halftime, no matter how well the starters did early on. Given that and how the offensive line looked last week against the Jets, I’ll say Washington by a touchdown.
