Recapping Friday night’s preseason matchup between the Falcons and the Titans.

The Atlanta Falcons nearly overcame an abysmal first half against the Tennessee Titans, but they still came up short in Friday night’s 23-20 preseason loss. Offensively, Atlanta got off to a slow start. After scoring just three points in the first half, the Falcons erupted for a 17-point third quarter to tie the game at 20.

Unfortunately, Atlanta was unable to carry that momentum over to the fourth quarter. The Titans took a three-point lead, and while The Falcons nearly got into field goal rage in the final seconds, they couldn’t get close enough for the game-tying attempt.

Check out six takeaways from Atlanta’s 23-20 preseason loss to Tennessee below.

Natrone Brooks makes strong case for roster spot

The defense wasn’t quite as ferocious as it was against Detroit, but it was a decent showing for many players fighting for roster spots. Defensive back Natrone Brooks continues to make plays. The former undrafted free agent intercepted Titans quarterback Brandon Allen in the second half and returned it 33 yards into Titans’ territory. Brooks has shown a ton of value, both on defense and special teams. The former undrafted free agent returned two kickoffs for 52 total yards, including a long of 29 yards. Brooks may have played himself onto the 53-man roster.

Rookie watch: Nate Carter shines, James Pearce solid

James Pearce, Xavier Watts, Billy Bowman and Jack Nelson played on Friday night, but undrafted free agent Nate Carter was the biggest winner of the team’s rookie class. Carter couldn’t find much running room early, however, he ended up finding a crease and breaking off a 43-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The former Michigan State standout is making a case to be Atlanta’s RB3. Pearce had some nice moments, finishing the game with four tackles (three solo). First-round pick Jalon Walker was a healthy scratch.

Falcons QB Easton Stick starts slow, finishes strong

Stick had a stellar debut against the Lions, but he didn’t look sharp in the first half on Friday night. The veteran quarterback threw an ugly pick-six in the first quarter, and would have been picked off again in the second but a Titans penalty bailed him out. In the second half, it was a different story. Stick bounced back with a 52-yard touchdown pass to Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair. For the night, Stick finished 19-of-32 for 173 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Blair led the team with three catches for 78 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Titans QB Cam Ward starts fast, finishes slow

It was the opposite story for Cam Ward, who looked like the first overall pick on his first two passes. On his first drive, Ward hit his wide receiver on a 35-yard completion while backed up near his own end zone. The Falcons got lucky when a potential touchdown pass from Ward was dropped. The rookie would cool down though, completing just two of seven pass attempts for 42 yards and a quarterback rating of 52.1.

Younghoe Koo says not so fast, Lenny Krieg

Koo blasted a 42-yard field goal through the up-rights in his first attempt against the Tennessee Titans on Friday night. The former Pro Bowl kicker did not play in Atlanta’s preseason opener but got all of the work in Preseason Week 2. Koo went 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and converted on both of his extra points. It was a solid showing, and likely solidifies Koo as the starting kicker going into the season over training camp standout Lenny Kreig.

What’s next for the Falcons?

The Falcons will play their final preseason game next Friday against the Dallas Cowboys. Unlike Atlanta’s first two exhibitions, this time the team will be on the road at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Don’t expect to see any starters for Atlanta, as head coach Raheem Morris prefers to take a more conservative approach to the preseason than most. Kickoff for next weekend’s preseason finale is at 8 p.m. ET.