Football season is back and it begins Friday night for the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins, who face off at 7:00 p.m. ET in a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The Falcons were rebuilding last year and finished 7-10 in the weak NFC South while the Dolphins snuck into the playoffs with a 9-8 record. There are reasons for both teams to be hopeful this season and Friday night's game begins the long journey that both hope wind up with a playoff berth.
The Atlanta Falcons won their last two games last year to finish 7-10 on the season. That may not sound like a good record, but in the NFC South, it was one game from winning the division. With Tom Brady out in Tampa Bay, the division is even more wide open this season and Atlanta has a legit shot to win the division and make the playoffs. Part of the hope stems from quarterback Desmond Ridder, a rookie last season who was inserted as the starter late in the season and gave the team a late season lift. There is a lot of talent on the offensive end for Ridder to play with, with Drake London at receiver, Kyle Pitts at tight end, Tyler Allgeier at running back, along with first round pick Bijan Robinson and Cordarelle Patterson.
Bijan Robinson with a filthy rep on Kaden Elliss early in 1s pic.twitter.com/XjFrdMzmYC
— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) July 31, 2023
The Falcons have not said who will be playing on Friday, but with the first preseason game, its likely we will see the starters on a limited basis, if at all. So that means you look to the backups, like quarterback Taylor Heinicke and third stringer Logan Woodside. Robinson, the exciting rookie running back, could also make his debut. One area where you could see some real competition is at wide receiver as there are a number of players looking to make the team and move up on the depth chart, like Scotty Miller, Khadrael Hodge, Frank Darby, Penny Hart, Josh Ali, and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, among others. On the injury front, cornerback Jeff Okudah is doubtful, while tight end Feleipe Franks, defensive lineman Ikenna Enechukwu, and wide receiver Chris Blair are listed as out.