Atlanta Falcons vs Miami Dolphins: The good, the bad, the ugly

Aug 29, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman (26) is tackled by Miami Dolphins guard Derrick Shelby (79) as Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes (21) looks on during the second quarter of an NFL preseason football game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The bad

Tevin Coleman

I’ll start by saying that it’s important not to jump the gun on Tevin Coleman, but it was a rough start for the rookie out of Indiana. After returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening two preseason games, Coleman could manage a net of just two yards on his four carries. He wasn’t helped by the blocking from the offensive line, it has to be said.

On more than one occasion, Coleman was being swarmed by defenders the moment he had been handed the football, and this is simply unacceptable from the offensive line. It doesn’t get much harder for a rookie runner than making your NFL debut against Ndamukong Suh and the Dolphins without much help up front. We will get another opportunity to analyze Coleman’s play against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.

I expect big things from Coleman, and despite being dropped for a loss a couple of times, and he did give us a flash of his potential. In the first quarter, he was hit hard on what looked like a certain loss of yards, but he was somehow able to maintain his balance, spin the defender and turn it into a 6-yard gain. Give him some more time and we can see what he’s made of.

Next: The ugly