The Falcons took a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last Saturday 20-17, but head coach Mike Smith saw a few impressive showings from his team’s first preseason test. Most of the pub was for rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, and deservedly so. Prior to Saturday’s game, Ryan was seen at Friday’s practice at Flowery Branch working a bit with the second team, but no one could have expected Smith to go to the Boston College product as early as he did, against Jacksonville’s first-team defense.
Ryan accounted for more than a third of the Falcons’ 343 total yards, and more than half of the passing yardage. Even more impressive was his poise against a notoriously aggressive Jacksonville defense that ranked ninth in the league in sacks last season with 37. Ryan capped his night with a 25-yard touchdown strike to Roddy White, as well as a 105.7 quarterback rating.
“I thought Matt looked very good,” Smith said of Ryan. “We wanted to get Matt in there early by design to let him play against a very good and efficient defense. We got him in there and I thought he competed well. For a rookie in his first time out, that’s a pretty good outing.”
Ryan also had a bit of luck on his side, as the rookie was credited with two fumbles, only to have Falcons fall on the loose balls both times. Other than that, not much went wrong for the new face of the Falcons.
“I thought Matt passed the test in terms of poise and execution,” Smith stated in his post-game press conference. “He most definitely has the leadership qualities and the skill set that we’re looking for.”
PLUSES AND MINUSES
Warning signs point to an undisciplined display for the Falcons, with 10 penalties luckily only accounting for 80 yards. Despite being the first game, Smith was adamant about correcting the penalty situation. Also, despite holding up better than expected, the offensive line allowed three sacks and could have used still-injured Todd Weiner at the right tackle position.
Smith also had good words for rookies Curtis Lofton and Thomas Brown. Lofton appears one step closer to a starting spot at middle linebacker, as he tied for the team lead with six tackles and recovered a fumble. Brown, a sixth-rounder out of Georgia, may have locked down a spot on the roster with three punt returns for 67 yards.
For a moment, it was déjà vu when John Abraham limped off in the first quarter with an apparent injury, but coach Smith reported Abraham as “OK” after just tweaking his ankle. The same was said about Von Hutchins’ apparent “tweak” on the first day of training camp, so it remains to be seen if Abraham will suffer any lingering effects from the Jacksonville game. Fortunately for the Falcons, if Abraham is to go down, Jamaal Anderson may be up to the pass-rush challenge. The second-year defensive end got around the corner for a sack in the second quarter, followed by a tackle for loss on third down, an encouraging sight from a player needing to live up to his first-round billing.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We’re not into moral victories, but I thought our guys played hard and with passion. I was impressed with the way our guys competed.” – Head coach Mike Smith
OFF THE FIELD
With Todd Weiner slowly coming back to health, as insurance the Falcons recently signed free agent offensive lineman Doug Datish to a contract and placed linebacker Robert James on the injured reserve. Datish was on the injured reserve for the Falcons in 2007 after suffering a broken wrist in preseason. Datish was originally drafted by the Falcons in the sixth round last season.
James, a fifth-round selection in 2008, was originally waived by the Falcons, then placed on IR. To replace James, the team has signed linebacker Mickey Pimentel, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs. A University of California alum, Pimentel (6-foot-2, 238 pounds) was signed as a free agent by the Panthers in 2007 before being released and picked up by Kansas City. Cornerback Chris Houston was held out of practice on Friday before preparations for the Jacksonville game. While he went through stretches and individual position drills, Houston did not participate in 11-on-11 drills.
For the second consecutive year, the Falcons have teamed up with the American Red Cross to promote blood donations until Sunday, Aug. 17. Fans who donate blood at select locations (www.atlantafalcons.com) will be eligible to win a signed Falcons helmet from head coach Mike Smith or two tickets to a Falcons preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts or the Tennessee Titans.
Horne can be reached at ehorne@scoreatl.com.
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