It would appear that Raheem Morris and his staff have settled on quite a bit of the final 53-man roster already. The Falcons sat 40 players against the Ravens this past Saturday, almost all of them either projected starters or highly valued reserves (the recently acquired Matt Judon sat because he hadn’t practiced with the team yet. Justin Simmons hadn’t officially signed his contract before game time. DeMarco Hellams was out due to injury). It seemed clear this game was about injury prevention and trying to find the bottom third of the Week 1 roster.
Falcons vs. Ravens: The Merry, the Messy, & the “Meh”
The Merry
Taylor Heinicke – his final stat line wasn’t overwhelming (8 of 16 for 114 yards with a long of 32 yards, a 73.4 rating, and no touchdowns or interceptions), but he looked far better than he did the previous week against the Dolphins. Whether he’s the #3 QB for Atlanta or trade bait for another team, he increased his value with his play against Baltimore.
Jase McClellan / Carlos Washington – the pair combined for 94 yards and a touchdown on just 20 carries. Both players are making a strong case to stick on the final roster, though one is likely going to have to make room for Avery Williams. Atlanta likely hopes whichever one of McClellan or Washington they cut sneaks through waivers and can be placed on the practice squad. (Spencer Brown 4/26)
Chris Blair – Blair had four catches for 91 yards with a long of 32 yards last Saturday. Thus far this preseason he has 6 catches for 136 yards, including 57 yards after the catch and a long of 41 yards. He’s shown a knack for chunk plays and is fully taking advantage of the injury-caused absences of Rondale Moore and Jakeem Grant. If the Falcons wind up keeping six receivers on the active roster, Blair may very well be WR6.
Offensive line – even with all five projected starters riding the pine, the line still helped pave the way for 31 rushes gaining 151 yards, allowing only one tackle-for-loss, and letting not only McClellan and Washington eat, but also Spencer Brown (four carries for 26 yards). This was a complete 180 from their performance the previous week against Miami. Pass protection remained excellent, with no sacks and no hurries allowed
Ruke Orhorhoro – on just 12 snaps the former Clemson DL that Atlanta traded up in the second round for produced a tackle, a tackle for loss, a sack, and a hurry. He likely won’t start, but based on this performance Orhorhoro seems like he’ll be a productive situational interior pass rusher.
Natrone Brooks – the former undrafted free agent was seemingly everywhere against the Ravens. He recorded eight solo tackles, five assists, a tackle for loss, and forced a fumble. He was sticky in coverage and many of his tackles were delivered with authority. He may not surpass Antonio Hamilton or Kevin King to be CB5 or CB6, but if he clears waivers he should be a shoo-in to make the practice squad.
The Messy
First-half passing defense – Josh Johnson had a field day in the first half against the Falcons’ defense, going 11 for 11 for 120 yards and a touchdown. Of the Ravens’ nine first-half first downs, eight were passing, and they converted four of nine third-down attempts. Despite having a hard time on the ground (18 carries for only 31 yards), Baltimore still dominated time of possession, holding on to the ball for 17:25 in the opening half.
Edge rushers – other than Bradlee Anae, who had half a sack and two hurries and two hurries, virtually zero pressure was generated by this group. Granted, Matt Judon, Lorenzo Carter, and Arnold Ebiketie did not play, but that kind of performance does not help DeAngelo Malone’s chances of sticking come Opening Day.
Anthony Johnson – Johnson was picked on all day, constantly allowing reception to whatever receiver he was covering. He gave up the 56-yard touchdown to Dayton Wade by biting badly on a double move. With the top six corners on the final roster likely solidified and Natrone Brooks showing out in the same game, Johnson is likely looking at getting cut.
Younghoe Koo – this game was just not Koo’s day. He made only two of five field goal attempts, with all of his misses going wide left, and all coming from between 40 to 49 yards. Now, Koo’s roster spot is not in danger, as he is historically one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, but the Falcons are certainly grateful this hiccup happened in a preseason game.
Failure to convert scoring opportunities – not only did Koo miss three field goals, but some of those field goal attempts should have been touchdowns. Hopefully, the first-team offense will be more proficient at getting in the end zone, but when the defense gives you great field position via a turnover or the offense has four tries inside the opponent’s ten-yard line, you need to come away with six, not three.
The “Meh”
Michael Penix controversy – much ado has been made about the decision to sit Penix not just against the Ravens, but also for the remainder of the preseason. It should be a non-story. If the staff feels he showed that well against Miami and in practices, then that should be good for the fan base and the media. If all goes according to plan, Penix won’t see the field until 2026, anyway, so he’ll have time to get reps in. This should be seen as playing the long game and making sure Penix doesn’t get hurt.
Main Image: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
