Overreaction from Falcons final preseason game against the Jaguars
By Matt Siegman
The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-12 ending a twelve game losing streak in the preseason.
The preseason is finally over and the Falcons next game is week one against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis! There are plenty of takeaways from the final preseason and Falcons fans should feel good about the team going into 2019.
One of the players that really stood out tonight was the play of Falcons first round pick Kaleb McGary. He was an animal on the field mauling whoever stood in his way. He is an immediate upgrade over Sambrailo and needs to be the starter week one.
The only downside to McGary is his ability to play all four quarters in a game. McGary missed time from practice recovering from a heart procedure. It may take another week before he is in game shape.
The Falcons should feel good about Jermaine Grace. He has been the MVP this preseason and has earned a roster spot. In the game against the Jaguars, Grace had a pick six that was called back because of a penalty on Ryan Neal. The Falcons will regret cutting him if they make that mistake. Grace has an outside shot of being the teams starting linebacker next to Deion Jones in 2020 assuming the Falcons let DeVondre Campbell walk in free agency.
The kicking game has been atrocious this preseason. The Falcons seemed locked in for Giorgio Tavecchio to be their starting kicker and he has been an utter disappointment. He had the chance in the game tonight to make a splash but missed a fifty-three yard field goal.
Blair Walsh looked decent tonight as he made a forty-six yard field goal in the third quarter and had another one blocked. Thankfully the Falcons are bringing in veteran kicker Matt Bryant to save the day.
The Falcons look solid to make a decent postseason run. They still have a long way to go but fans should feel optimistic about the team in 2019. Between the young players on the roster and the veterans, this roster is loaded with talent.
Next. Falcons bringing Matt Bryant in for a tryout. dark
A good prediction for the Falcons this season is the team finishing 12-4 with a first round bye week. The defense will need to carry this team early in the season but the offense will really start to pick up after the Vikings and Eagles. If the defense can play at the level they were at in 2017, lock the Falcons in for the NFC Championship game.