The wait is over. Football is back.
The Atlanta Falcons will travel to South Beach and take on the Miami Dolphins in both teams’ opening preseason game of the 2024 season on Friday evening. Throughout a good portion of this week, the Falcons and Dolphins have participated in joint practices, generating a sense of familiarity with one another. Now, it’s time to do battle in live game action.
Likely, we don’t see much of the primary starters in this game for either Atlanta or Miami, meaning the backups will get a great chunk of time to showcase themselves and prove why they deserve a spot on their respective 53-man rosters during the regular season.
Before we see the opening kickoff, however, we will look at four bold predictions that may take place under the Friday night lights:
Michael Penix Jr. Electrifies
Everyone knows Michael Penix Jr. has been looking very impressive throughout the summer in Falcons’ practices, so this one shouldn’t need much explanation.
While it isn't super bold to suggest that Penix plays well, predicting his stat line in his very first game is where it’s worth predicting. Look for Penix to record no less than 250 passing yards with at least three passing touchdowns, assuming the rookie quarterback plays the majority of the game on Friday.
Rookie Standouts
Looking at the Falcons side of things, we already gave Penix his flowers, however, the team could see a few of their other rookies show up in big ways. Second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro has an opportunity to impress in his first NFL game and achieve five tackles. Casey Washington, a sixth-round wide receiver, may also have a solid day, catching eight passes, over 100 receiving yards and one touchdown.
On the Dolphins side, first-round pass-rusher Chop Robinson will showcase his talents for Miami’s defense, by recording at least two sacks.
Defensive Touchdown
One team will score a defensive touchdown in the game, whether it be a pick-six or a fumble recovery.
High-Scoring Affair
This is a preseason game that most likely won’t feature all of the starters like Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill or Falcons’ Kirk Cousins for much of the game, if even at all. Many may not expect an outstanding scoring fest between each squad, but that’s where this bold prediction comes in.
Both teams will be able to score multiple touchdowns, leading to a combined total of over 50 points.
While these may not all come to fruition, that is the goal of ‘bold predictions’, to think outside of the box, especially in a preseason exhibition.
Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with LIVE streaming available on NFL+.
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