Ultimate guide to the Atlanta Falcons 2022 preseason

The NFL season opened up last Thursday and now the Falcons are preparing to open up their season officially

Unfortunately, it is only the preseason, but the good news is that it is still time for some Atlanta Falcons football.

While the games might be meaningless for most fans, they are anything but for hundreds of NFL players who are trying to keep their lifelong dream alive. This is their job interview, this is when they prove they are worthy of being one of the 53 players on a final NFL roster, whether that be with their current team or any of the other 31 teams.

With the Falcons being so young, the preseason is especially important. Not only do the coaches have to decipher which players will make the roster, but they also have to juggle rest vs. rust. How long do they risk injury for their starting players in an effort to get them in a groove? It is an age-old question.

Before we get to it you can check out the Falcons roster by clicking the link here

Let’s take a look at who the Falcons’ opponents are for the 2022 preseason, as well as other information relating to the games:

Preseason Week 1: Atlanta Falcons @ Detroit Lions

• When: Friday, August 12 at 6 pm ET
• Where: Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
• Watch: Fox 5 or NFL Network
• Listen: 92.9 The Game
• Roster: Lions roster is linked here

Opposing players to watch for:

The Atlanta Falcons had the eighth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and the Lions were one of the seven teams who picked ahead of them. The Lions held the second-overall pick and they ended up with the local kid, Aidan Hutchinson, a defensive end out of Michigan. They were ecstatic to land him after the Jaguars passed on him for Georgia’s defensive end, Travon Walker.

So, make sure to keep an eye out for Hutchinson as we will get to opportunity to be among the first people to watch him live on an NFL field. The fans in Detroit cannot wait to see what he can do.

One thing that is disappointing is we likely won’t get to see the debut of the other Lions’ first-round pick, Jameson Williams since he is coming off of a major injury while he was at Alabama. He might not even be ready to play to open the regular season.

Then the Lions also have a pair of former Falcons defensive ends, those being John Cominsky and Charles Harris. Will be interesting to see what they can do against their former teammates.

Preseason Week 2: Atlanta Falcons @ New York Jets

• When: Monday, August 22 at 8 pm ET
• Where: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
• Watch: ESPN
• Listen: 92.9 The Game
• Roster: Jets roster is linked here

Opposing players to watch for:

One of the common themes among the Falcons’ preseason opponents is that every single one of them had a higher draft pick than their eight-overall pick, so in other words, these are not great teams.

The Jets used their selection on Sauce Gardner, the standout cornerback from Cincinnati. Desmond Ridder will get to play against his former teammate for the first time. He is an incredible talent and was the best shutdown corner in college football.

Zach Wilson and Joe Flacco are their top quarterbacks, so we will likely get to see the young guy and the Super Bowl-winning veteran.

The Jets also still have former Falcons running back Tevin Coleman on their roster. Perhaps we will get to watch him play again after we beat his team last October.

Preseason Week 3: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Atlanta Falcons

• When: Saturday, August 27 at 3 pm ET
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
• Watch: Fox 5 or NFL Network
• Listen: 92.9 The Game
• Roster: Jaguars roster is linked here

Opposing players to watch for:

Not only will the Falcons get to see the second-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft play but they also will get to see the first-overall pick as he makes his way back to the state where he played college football.

The Jaguars played in the Hall of Fame game so they will have a total of four preseason games as opposed to the normal three. Travon Walker was able to record a sack in that game, so we will see what he can do against Atlanta.

The Jags also made another first-round selection when they nabbed linebacker Devin Lloyd out of Utah. They hope he and a former Falcon can team up and make a solid duo for the future.

We may also get to see Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne play as well. The two former college football stars could be playing next to each other once again. They are extremely talented players and will give the Falcons’ defense a test.

The Jaguars obviously signed Foye Oluokun to a huge deal over the offseason. We won’t have to wait long to see him back in Atlanta. They also have former Falcons receivers Marvin Hall and LaQuon Treadwell.

This game will wrap up the Falcons’ 2022 preseason, from here we will have to wait a couple weeks to see them kick it off at home against the Saints which will take place on Sunday, September 11th at 1 pm ET.