Preseason Reasons for Optimism: Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins

Clint Goss

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Preseason Reasons for Optimism: Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins image

Ready to hit someone in the mouth? Or like joint practices in South Beach for the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, you have already done that?

Be optimistic for a Falcons win on Friday, be optimistic & thirsty for answers nonetheless. Here’s why.

Hut.

(Images courtesy of ESPN.com)

Lines of Scrimmage: Blatantly Falcons > Dolphins

Dolphins Beat Writers praising the Falcons’ lines of scrimmage for kicking the Dolphins’ head inward this week is a good start.

Head Coach Raheem Morris’s team thrives off hitting somebody other than teammates, raging with a consistently physical tone. Reports of Dolphins vs. Falcons fighting (3 Times & Twice in 6 Minutes in one practice) have sounded like Patrick Swayze’s
Roadhouse, with Drake London and Tyler Allgeier competing to be 2024’s Dalton. Salute to our Wade Garrett, Cordarrelle Patterson for getting the boys here.
If you understand these references, let’s get a beer sometime.

Onward.

While I’ve included the two-deep, let’s focus on Offensive Line starters. A recovering quad injury since October on commonly banged-up Isaiah Wynn (averages 10 games played per year over a 5-year career) is no bueno. 

Head Coach Mike McDaniel said of right guard Liam Eichenberg Wednesday, “Eichenberg has developed so much in the past couple of seasons with us and has done so by being a master of multiplicity. He's found ways to not only contribute, produce, but then also improve whatever position he's playing."

A converted offensive tackle trying to replace now Carolina Panther Robert Hunt ($20M AAV). Eichenberg can’t even let the thought of holding Chris Lindstrom’s jock strap in his head as far as RG. "Well, the next stop for him is to find out where his ceiling is as a player,” added McDaniel on Wednesday. 

Lindstrom is a multiple-time Pro Bowler and the best Guard in football. The Stairway to Heaven is the ceiling and we aren’t searching for the light. 

Starting Center Aaron Brewer left practice Wednesday and his availability is uncertain. In his absence, Eichenberg kicks into center, the depth weakens, and so on and so forth.

Acknowledging it is preseason and the majority of backups will play versus just crunching starters.

The Dolphins’ D-Line depth is a warm glass of boiled dog water in this August heat post-Christian Wilkins. All love to the legend Calais Campbell as always, but dig deeper. The depth is so poor there isn’t even a listed 3rd team RDE and in terms of optimistically viewing Friday night, do you think a 38-year-old (Campbell is 38 in 3 weeks actually) entering his 17th NFL season is playing much?

Da’Shawn Hand (below), former #1 recruit and 4th round pick has a full plate Friday.

Nose Tackle is simply an issue from start to bottom for Miami. Is there a starting caliber 0-Tech in that room at all?

The offensive interior for Atlanta dominated Miami this week. Good, they are supposed to do it Friday. As far as the tackles, catch me particularly excited to see Falcons swing tackle Storm Norton take heavy snaps on the left side.

The Most of Michael Penix Jr. 

Disregard yards and drops, simply stat sheet completions the last four practices for Michael Penix Jr.:

  • Wednesday - 7/13 (54%)
  • Tuesday - 8/16 (50%) & TD
  • Monday - 8/11 (73%) & TD 
  • Friday - 53% completed

With a seemingly established floor this week, it will be interesting to see Penix’s choices of daringly cutting it loose.

It would be easy to blindly forecast the Falcons' depth of quarterbacks being as good as you will find, but props to Miami for having Mike White & Skylar Thompson at QB2 and QB3 to combat all the Tua injury history noise. This is as good of QB depth talent as we will see this preseason.

Final Tangent

Penix is the most gifted depth QB in this game and it is not close. HC Raheem Morris, OC Zac Robinson, and DC Jimmy Lake are also ready to dive into the pool with brand-new roles. Do it with a win on the road to cap off a physical week.

QBs: Falcons

RBs: Falcons (TOUGH)

WRs: Dolphins 

TEs: Falcons 

OTs: Draw

IOL: Falcons 

DL: Falcons 

LBs: Falcons 

DBs: Dolphins

Clint Goss

Clint Goss Photo

Clint Goss is a Falcons and NFL writer, as well as the the on-air co-host of The Falcon Fade radio show at 99.1 WDJY and lead NFL Draft Analyst for Stadium Rant. He is a Rhetoric graduate of Georgia College & State University. A Roswell resident, find Clint at Mercedes-Benz Stadium every Sunday. You can follow Clint actively on Twitter/X @NFLDraftDome.