3 Atlanta Falcons facing questions after preseason debut

1. Arnold Ebiketie

Arnold Ebiketie was stilll playing in the 4th quarter helping end the game by sacking the Dolphins quarterback while taking the ball away. It was a great moment for the second year pass rusher and an example of the potential that has Atlanta fans excited to see the growth now that Arnold has help around him and a full off-season to get healthy.

All of this is great but the obvious question is why was Ebiketie still out there in the 4th quarter? At this point in the game Atlanta's roster that was out there for the most part were players that will either be cut or rarely see the field outside of special teams in the 2023 season.

While we obviously don't know Arthur Smith's reasoning behind playing the pass rusher it is hard to see it as a good sign for Ebiketie unless it was just for the experience. Ebiketie helped set the tone for a defense that dominated Atlanta's first preseason game with consistent turnovers, sacks, and 4th down stops.

As exciting as it was to watch it is important to point out that this is simply a glorified practice with neither side using their starters.