August 16, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Chris Redman (8) during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Georgia Dome. The Bengals beat the Falcons 24-19. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

The season is almost here for the Falcons and an indicator to that is the NFL releasing team’s preseason schedule today.

Week 1: Cincinnati vs. Atlanta*(August 8^th)

Week 2: Atlanta at Baltimore(August 15-19)

Week 3: Atlanta at Tennessee(August 22-26)

Week 4: Jacksonville vs. Atlanta(August 29^th)

(* Indicates the game will be televised on ESPN)

If you want to see what the league-wide preseason schedule looks like or you want to see who your team will be playing in the preseason this year, then go check out NFL Spin Zone.

Jan 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tamba Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Preston Parker (87) gets tackled by Atlanta Falcons defensive back Chris Owens (21) and cornerback Dominique Franks (24) during the second quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Something that the really good NFL teams rely on is depth at all spots on their roster. Obviously a team plays their best players at every position, and offensive linemen, quarterbacks, and some linebackers rarely come off the field. But it is important to have depth to keep the players fresh, and most importantly if a player goes down with an injury.

The Falcons have a very good first team of starters, which is going to be enough to accumulate a good amount of wins. Most of the scoring and good defense will be played with the first team players. Of that I feel fairly comfortable and confident after the good performance by the first teamers against the Baltimore Ravens last week.

The problem lies with the rest of the roster, who was outscored 31-3, including 24 unanswered points. That doesn’t bode well.

Look at the linebacker depth. The Falcons signed Mike Peterson when Lofa Tatupu went down with an injury, but he was signed to provide depth. Now that Akeem Dent has suffered a head injury, Peterson will play a good amount this preseason, and may end up starting in the regular season if Dent gets injured again. That would prevent him from being able to provide depth at other linebacker spots. And you never know how long the 36 year old Peterson will hold up, knock on wood.

Defensive tackle is another spot. Peria Jerry looked very good in the first preseason game, and that gave me some breathing room, but we all know not to count on him when the chips are down. Corey Peters is missing time with a foot injury. I don’t know when he will be back, but the Falcons need him to start at DT and allow Jerry to work in a rotation with Peters and Babineaux. I’m not sure how much production Vance Walker and Travian Robinson can bring. Then again, I could be wrong.

Secondary? We have three corners with great history, but if one of them is completely winded or is injured, who is going to fill in? Chris Owens and Dominique Franks haven’t been excellent in coverage in their careers, and the guys behind them aren’t much better.

Now for the big two. Quarterback. I don’t expect to have someone outstanding behind Matt Ryan on the depth chart, but nobody who played the Ravens looked good at all.

And finally offensive line. They had a good showing against the Ravens, but we don’t know how long that great protection is going to last. We also don’t know how productive the second team players would be if they were pressed into service. I know what Will Svitek can do, but beyond that there really isn’t anyone with a good track record. It is cause for concern.

Fatigue and injuries are something that are innate in the NFL. The best NFL teams don’t just win in spite of the non-starters on the depth chart: they win because of the solid depth on the team. I’m not a head coach, nor a GM of an NFL club, but I don’t think what the depth has shown will be enough to help the Falcons in 2012. Hopefully they won’t be a problem throughout the season.

December 26, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Garrett Reynolds (75) against the New Orleans Saints during a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Falcons 45-16. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

It is easy to feel really positive about the Falcons offensive line following the first preseason game. If history tells us anything, it is to not read too much into what happens in the preseason. However, to an extent what happens with the first team units is important and we can get a slight inclination as to how things will look in the 2012 season. And to this point, I have nothing but good conclusions to draw from the Falcons offensive line performance.

In four series of play when the entire first team offensive line and quarterback Matt Ryan were on the field together, Ryan took no sacks, and I can’t remember him being so much as touched in the pocket. (Joe Hawley replaced Todd McClure at center for the third and fourth series, and the line still performed very well.) Ryan was allowed to complete a flurry of passes, and never even felt pressure until well after he delivered the ball. There were two instances where Ryan sensed pressure and rolled out to avoid it; one was real, and he rolled to the sideline where he proceeded to toss the ball to an open receiver for a ten yard gain and a first down. The other was perceived, and had he remained in the pocket and simply shifted slightly he would have had a very solid pocket indeed. For the most part however, he did a good job of standing tall and delivering the ball. Thats where he plays the position the best, and the Falcons have to protect him.

I’m not surprised that Clabo played well, that we didn’t hear Justin Blalock’s name, or that McClure played very well. He is the most experienced player on that offensive line. Joe Hawley did well at guard last year, so again, I’m not terribly surprised that he performed at least decently.

I am surprised that Garrett Reynolds and Sam Baker performed well at right guard and left tackle respectively. Both of them were absolutely miserable in 2011, and I didn’t expect much from them. The good news is that against that extremely large defensive front that the Baltimore Ravens presents, the Falcons o-line held up well and prevented significant Ryan getting killed in the pocket.

People have been saying that Baker was really hurt throughout 2011, and his battle with injuries was the major reason for his struggles. He has been healthy lately, and if he can play like he did in 2010, the Falcons will get by. I don’t know what Garrett Reynolds excuse was last season. I supposed you could write it off as not having an offseason, but this is going to be his fourth season in the league, so it’s not like he’s completely new to things. For whatever its worth, some players take a lot longer to develop than others (just look at the career of Tyson Clabo himself) and there is no doubt that Reynolds played reasonably well in the preseason game.

Just to temper my exuberance about this offensive line and to not make everyone feel like I’m blowing smoke, I have to point out that the Falcons weren’t exactly facing elite pass rushers. The 3-4 defense, of which the Ravens are adherents, is predicated on the massive three d-linemen up front taking up as many blocks as possible, and allowing the linebackers to flow relatively unimpeded to the ball/the quarterback. Terrell Suggs is out with a torn achillies, and rookie Courtney Upshaw (who is projected to do some pass-rushing of his own) was held out with an injury. Now I don’t have game tape to discover who was rushing the passer. But I can promise you two things. 1. The Ravens were rushing at least four on every single play, if not more and 2. I have no idea what the names of those individuals are. The Falcons stymied the pass rush, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were facing a quality pass-rush. They did what I expect them to. I think they will be more proven when they are able to successfully block when there is a proven pass-rusher in addition to a big three up front facing the Falcons offensive line.