There was one space of the sport that new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen mentioned the Falcons can enhance in earlier within the offseason.

“Each space.”

In mild of that, it was enjoyable to have the ability to see the Falcons go up in opposition to a crew apart from themselves for the primary time this season, as they held joint practices and the primary preseason sport in opposition to the Miami Dolphins. Whereas the starters didn’t partake within the Friday festivities, everybody may sense and really feel these modifications already, as described by Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after one of many joint observe periods.

Much more particularly, the road of scrimmage proved to be a lot higher than in previous years, persevering with a development of what we had been listening to from joint practices as properly via sure intervals. Now, had been starters not on the market? After all. If something, that makes me much more excited of what might be to come back.

When you’ve two in opposition to twos, you’d anticipate your twos to win, even when that hasn’t at all times been the case for Atlanta. The Falcons’ twos gained. Under I’ll discuss one participant that stood out to me from the sport on Friday, my favourite play of the sport, and what I took from the efficiency on a go-forward foundation.

Albert Huggins stood out

Certainly one of my favourite elements of camp and the preseason is seeing which gamers (particularly on the line of scrimmage) benefit from their alternatives and flash. All through the week, Albert Huggins has been a type of gamers.

On Friday, Huggins performed 28 snaps and made essentially the most of them, racking up a half a sack and 4 complete tackles. I’d like to see how he was graded out by the coaches and the way he had been graded out all through the joint practices as properly, however Professional Soccer Focus had his Friday efficiency graded as an 84.7 together with a 90(!) in cross rush.

As talked about by our Adnan Ikic, one theme of the Fontenot regime has been discovering younger and low-cost defensive tackles that change into crucial depth items. That is already one of many deepest defensive traces the Falcons have had in a lengthy time.

Including Huggins into that blend would solely make issues that significantly better if he can proceed to play like this. He was a Nielsen man in New Orleans final season, so clearly the Falcons defensive coordinator is aware of there’s one thing there that may be priceless to the crew this 12 months.

Arnold Ebiketie’s huge second

Time for me to placed on my cross rush nerd hat for a minute. Arnold Ebiketie had my favourite second and cross rush of the sport. Late within the 4th quarter, Ebiketie used a spin transfer and acquired the cross rush trifecta: sack, compelled fumble, and fumble restoration. In terms of the assembly room, that’s the highest mixture of manufacturing factors you will get on a play exterior of scoring a landing.

Once more, sure, it was in opposition to a backup. It isn’t even the truth that he had a sack that I’m enthusiastic about. It was the method and the boldness with the method of the frenzy that I’m trying extra into. Should you have a look at the sooner level of final season, I felt that Ebiketie would telegraph the within transfer a tad bit. There was a rep within the early Tampa Bay sport the place he confirmed the chop a bit to early, letting the offensive sort out know what’s coming. Here’s a video from X account @DiehardFalcFan that illustrates this level:

Discover how a lot later he’s displaying (if any) that the spin is coming later within the season versus Washington after which on Friday in opposition to Miami. Additionally, watch the end of the transfer between Washington after which Miami. Sure, he does a significantly better job hiding the spin in opposition to Washington in comparison with the primary rep, and consequently he had the sort out in his personal spin cycle.

The one critique there’s that after he spins, he couldn’t get the “ice choose” in. What which means is he wasn’t capable of get the lead hand to the middle of the again of the sort out to completely clear him. With the assistance of the white gloves on Friday, you may see that left hand attain the middle of that sort out’s again to assist Ebiketie clear him, after which he makes use of that athleticism to complete to Skylar Thompson.

In complete, there was so much to love from the protection, particularly up entrance. Their efforts helped lead the Falcons to a few picks and 5 sacks within the 19-3 win. Not solely are new gamers making some noise right here and there, however the growth and enchancment of people that had been already on the roster has been apparent, as properly.

Subsequent week can be much more enjoyable as Arthur Smith has already introduced the starters can be on the market in opposition to Cincinnati. I can’t wait to see much more of the brand new look line of defense and protection as an entire, even when it’s just for a bit little bit of time.