Atlanta Falcons vs Miami Dolphins: The good, the bad, the ugly
Aug 29, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) is sacked by Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Earl Mitchell in the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Innerarity-USA TODAY Sports
The ugly
Offensive line
This one is hardly a surprise. I’m struggling to find many positives from the offensive line play in this game. The best I can come up with is that this game didn’t count for anything. But throughout the entire contest, the Falcons’ line struggled, giving up six sacks for a combined loss of 32 yards.
James Stones started, and was poor in pass protection and run blocking. If he starts Week 1, something has gone wrong. Mike Person was the starting center and also disappointed. Again, if these two are starting on the line against the Eagles, I suspect Matt Ryan won’t be best pleased.
It’s worth noting that this was a preseason game, and it’s never good to make regular season predictions on these games. If this was a game that mattered, Dan Quinn would have got more protection with tight ends or a fullback. Preseason is primarily for player evaluation and putting players in difficult spots. The Falcons experimented against the Dolphins, and it’s clear the play wasn’t good enough.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t any concerns with the offensive line because there clearly are. The Falcons need improvements across the board and hope that the starters stay healthy or Ryan will be signing a one-year contract extension with the Georgia Dome turf.
Next: What we learned from Falcons-Dolphins