How to watch Atlanta Falcons vs. Detriot Lions pre-season tilt

The Atlanta Falcons will kick off the pre-season by taking on the Detriot Lions on August 12th with kick-off scheduled for 6:00 PM EST. The game will be Atlanta’s first chance to watch new quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Mariota sits in the first game of the season in an attempt to keep the veteran healthy and ready for the season. Ridder should have the bulk of the snaps in game one either way and give Atlanta fans plenty of chances to jump to conclusions as to whether or not he is the future of the franchise.

The game will be aired on NFL Network and in some markets on NFL’s new streaming service NFL+.

While the result might be meaningless the Atlanta Falcons pre-season carries a lot of intrigues when you consider the number of positions still up for grabs and the culture of competition Dean Pees and Arthur Smith are installing in Atlanta.

The offensive line, edge rusher, safety, receiver, and running back are positions, in particular, to watch throughout the pre-season as Atlanta evaluates and re-shuffles the depth chart. Chris Lindstrom, Jake Matthews, A.J. Terrell, Grady Jarrett and Marcus Mariota are the only Atlanta Falcons who should head into the pre-season at ease with keeping their starting jobs.

Casey Hayward Jr. and Bryan Edwards will be expected starters as well but it wouldn’t be shocking to see either serve a smaller role if they struggle throughout the pre-season.

The biggest decision for the Falcons has already been made with Marcus Mariota locked in as the starting quarterback and Desmond Ridder simply needing to prove he is capable of being the second option if Mariota is injured.

It should be an entertaining Atlanta Falcons pre-season for a rebuilding roster searching for answers and will be unafraid to make surprising decisions.