Preseason Good, Bad, and Ugly: Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins

@Tre'Shon Diaz

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Preseason Good, Bad, and Ugly: Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins image

It's been less than 36 hours since the Atlanta Falcons preseason contest with the Miami Dolphins, and we saw a lot from the team—some of it good, some of it bad, and some of it downright ugly.

Good

Michael Penix Jr.

The player everyone wanted to see didn't disappoint. Penix went 9/16 for 104 yards with zero touchdowns or turnovers. While those numbers appear pedestrian, the live game footage told a different story. The eighth overall pick showed off the arm talent and poise he put on film at the University of Washington, avoiding sacks and delivering the ball on time.

Penix displayed low accuracy at times but was very precise with the ball. When Penix did miss, the ball was never in harm's way—consistently delivering the ball in the ideal location so that only his receivers could make a play on it. He needs to hone his accuracy, which should come with time and reps. The team and fans should feel good about his debut, and hopefully, we continue to see him get ample playtime this preseason.

Antonio Hamilton Sr. and Kevin King

This starting outside cornerback duo left their mark on the game. Hamilton posted three hard-hitting tackles, one being a tackle for loss, and had a pass defended. King also had three tackles while showing exceptional coverage, with two passes defended and an interception. Mike Hughes and Clark Phillips have dominated the outside cornerback conversation this offseason, but King and Hamilton looked like genuine contributors. The Falcons may not have someone close to Terrell's talent levels, but the floor of this position group appears to have increased.

Casey Washington

The sixth-round pick from Illinois has been praised consistently since the rookie minicamp, and last night, he showed why. The rookie was getting open consistently and showed fantastic effort on passes that even Drake London wouldn't have been able to haul in. He showed actual ability as a gunner and had great awareness after the Dolphins muffed a punt. If he can continue to play like this throughout the preseason, there's no reason he shouldn't make the final roster.

Zach Harrison

The second-year defensive lineman out of Ohio State looked the part in his new role. The added weight and muscle were on full display when Harrison disrupted a pass that led to an interception. The Falcons will need the former Buckeye to take a big leap forward this year and contribute to the pass rush. He's off to the right start.

Bad

Run game

The second-string offensive line unit performed well in pass protection, but they floundered when it came time to run the ball. The Falcons averaged 2.7 yards per carry on 30 attempts, with most of the 81 rushing yards coming in the second half. Carlos Washington Jr. could have been more impressive. Yes, the blocking didn't do him favors at times, but Washington Jr. showed little burst or ability to run through tackles and make the first man miss. Raheem Morris said pregame that the running back left a lot of meat on the bone last preseason, and he appeared to again last night.

Edges

Arnold Ebeketie was on the receiving end of an old-school beatdown in the trenches. The third-year veteran was toyed with by rookie Patrick Paul and was essentially a non-factor in the pass rush for most of his snaps. The self-proclaimed "doctor" didn't make any appointments with the opposing quarterbacks and was on the ropes against backup-tier offensive linemen. Lorenzo Carter looked like himself, a good run defender who won't offer much else. Overall, the group didn't look very impressive. The Dolphins don't have a particularly good offensive line unit, and it was disappointing to see no one on the edge take advantage of that.

WR depth

Moore's loss was felt in this contest. Casey Washington had a valiant performance, but it wasn't enough to push him up to WR3. Chris Blair did catch a beauty from Penix, but it's the kind of catch any league wideout should be able to make. He fumbled early in the game, killing the drive in the first set of downs. OJ Hiliare showed great effort, but this isn't a player who should be counted on once Sundays come around. Terry Fontenot will need to find some way to improve the room.

Rookie defenders

None of the rookie defenders turned in performances that should warrant concern, but none really impacted the game. JD Bertrand looked outmatched physically on multiple occasions and looked rather pedestrian. Brandon Dorlus did check in with a TFL but was otherwise ineffective. Ruke Orhorhoro looked like the project many have labeled him to be. Bralen Trice was underwhelming before going down, and it's clear the rookie has yet to develop much of a pass rush plan. This was the first action for all these players, and with the performance being somewhat disappointing, it will only be easier to improve in the next contest.

Ugly

Taylor Heinike

Point blank, there's no reason Heinike should be on this roster anymore. Terry Fontenot has no excuse at this point for his decision to restructure the quarterback in lieu of cutting him and saving the team even more money. It's never a good look when a player with less than a week of practices and hardly any meaningful reps outplays someone the team has millions invested in.

Injuries

Injuries were the absolute worst part of yesterday's game against Miami. The Falcons lost safety DeMarcco Hellams almost immediately, and the injury looked severe as the player left in an air cast. Bralen Trice also went down and had to be helped off the field. It was reported he was walking under his own power, but the Falcons can't afford to have anyone in the edge room go down. The team's depth can't afford any hits in general, and so far, they're taking losses in already talent-thin rooms.

@Tre'Shon Diaz