The Atlanta Falcons have one preseason game in the books, and as always with preseason, the result doesn’t matter at all.
What typically matters are the individual performances and the moments from key reserves and would-be starters, and we got some interesting ones Friday night that we’ll discuss below. But what ended up really mattering Friday night was the health of cornerback Morice Norris, who was injured and taken to a hospital by ambulance. The injury was scary enough for those of us at home and in the stands, but for Falcons and Lions players and coaches, it was far more sober and difficult to watch a teammate and friend suffer and possibly have his life changed forever, which is why Dan Campbell and Raheem Morris ultimately agreed to run out the clock on the game without playing further.
That obviously is the headline of this game for good reason, especially until we know what’s going on with Norris more fully. Down below that are the performances themselves, which featured a strong defensive beginning, standouts stretches for the offense, and plenty of players trying to generate a little momentum as they battle for jobs. This week’s joint practices and scrimmages with the Titans and the subsequent preseason game will help reinforce or unfortunately undercut those performances, but they are a real start as this team takes on the daunting task of evaluating its roster and cutting it down at the end of the month.
On to the full recap, and we continue to hope Norris is okay.
I wouldn’t say anyone gets MVP honors for a preseason game, but Easton Stick, Dylan Drummond, Chris Blair, DeMarcco Hellams, Josh Woods, and Brandon Dorlus are among those deserving a nod and thumbs up. Also once again, kudos to both teams for their end of game decision, which could not have been easy.
While Stick and Hellams were among those who made a big push to sew up roster spots, I doubt this evening was particularly decisive for the coaching staff in terms of who is winning starting jobs and who is actually making the team. The importance of momentum for the likes of Drummond, Blair, Hellams, Woods, and Brooks is obvious, because two impressive preseason games in a row starts to tell a compelling story.
The Titans come to town for joint practices and the second preseason game. You can check out Music City Miracles for more about Tennessee ahead of the matchup!
Oneweekdownandtheseasonisclose.