Kevin Stefanski made it clear that he isn't afraid to play starters in the preseason. After watching Raheem Morris hold out his most important players during his two seasons, this is welcomed news for fans.
He said that games one and three will be the ones to watch. They will also be where the team finally figures out the glaring issues with the roster.
If nothing else, the coaching staff has to find answers to these big questions during the 180 exhibition minutes, starting with Friday's matchup against the Denver Broncos.
These questions must be answered if the Falcons want to make the playoffs
1. Who really is the starting and reserve quarterbacks?
Obviously, the battle between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. will be the headliner. The question at the most important position will be the determining factor for how the season ends.
Penix Jr.'s health (and Tua's, for that matter) will be something to monitor first and foremost. Without a healthy Penix Jr., it isn't a battle for who starts in Pittsburgh. But, in a perfect world, we will see each of them lead drives that will determine who deserves the job.
And then there is the most important No. 3 QB battle in the league. Both frontrunners have injury history, making the third and final spot the most important in the league. Will the intriguing undrafted free agent Jack Strand surprise everyone, or will the veteran Cooper Rush get the nod?
2. Who will replace Jalon Walker?
There is no replacing Jalon Walker as a player, but someone needs to step up and be good enough.
Harold Perkins Jr. is the first, and most intriguing, name to watch. We know how his college career fizzled out after a stellar first two seasons. Which version will the Falcons get? If they can even get 50% of the original superstar, then they will have the rest of the league regretting letting him fall to the sixth round.
Outside of him, we will see if rookie Kendal Daniels can occasionally be an edge threat. They have veterans Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam, as well as James Pearce Jr. (at least, for now). No matter how things play out, the loss of Walker will result in a dip in sack production.
3. How does the cornerback position fall behind A.J. Terrell?
Each time we mention the cornerback position it goes "A.J. Terrell and then who?" Not to say this position isn't good; they are. We are just uncertain of how the dominoes will fall with the many starting-quality names this team has.
Right now, Mike Hughes has the edge, but Avieon Terrell could make a late push to start opposite his brother. Unfortunately he's now dealing with an injury too.
The chaos comes in the slot where you have Billy Bowman Jr., Sydney Brown, Darnay Holmes, and possibly the younger Terrell. Each of those names deserves playing time. How will Jeff Ulbrich juggle the deepest secondary the Falcons have had in a long time?
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