Stay tuned: Falcons defensive back Harrison Hand was beat on a pass to Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, deep down the right sideline. Both went down in the process. Hand, however, limped off the field afterward and was not seen again in action. No update was provided on his status.
Dominant defense: Overall, the Falcons carried over their strong defensive performance from Tuesday, which McElhaney wrote about in the Camp Report. The two of us switched viewpoints Wednesday, so I was able to see what all the hype was about.
The first-team unit didn’t allow any touchdowns against Miami’s offense. The second teamers allowed three in total, all from within the red zone but across different periods. They were all touchdowns the Dolphins sneaked by the Falcons secondary.
What was fun to watch but difficult to keep track of was all the rotations. I’d write down the starting defense, and then it would change on the very next play. Morris has emphasized wanting to create concrete depth so, if a starter does get injured during the season, someone else can slide in with no bumps in the transition.
Some of the less common names – but becoming more common – include outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone, defensive lineman Eddie Goldman, cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr. and more. Multiple players are getting important reps. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out as the 53-man roster cut deadline nears.
Flowers to AK: Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie popped early, earning a sack on Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the first period of 11-on-11 work, which took place in the red zone. Ebiketie’s teammates did a well-enough job defending their assignments that Tagovailoa couldn’t find anyone to throw the ball to. As Tagovailoa scrambled, Ebiketie burst through for the tag.
That may have been Ebiketie’s sole sack of the morning, but he made his way back into the pocket again during 11-on-11, forcing a mad incomplete pass from Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson.
Essentially, no matter which unit Ebiketie played with, he made his presence felt. This is important to note because for a while there, it seemed as though Trice was pulling further and further ahead of Ebiketie. This isn’t to say one is better than the other, rather a rep share that’s worth continued watch, especially with Friday’s preseason opener around the corner.
Mentionable moments: Let’s just take a look inside my notebook.
— Falcons outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone’s speed really showed during a second-team play. He tried to shake a block and get to Dolphins quarterback Mike White, when White released the ball. The pass was completed. And as soon as it was, Malone was quickly nearby and running after the receiver. It was as if Malone had been in the vicinity already, but he hadn’t.
— Falcons safety Richie Grant had two near-interceptions off Tagovailoa. One was a pass over the middle near midfield. The other was more impressive because Grant actually cut the receiver’s route off and jumped to grab the ball as it headed towards the end zone. He came up just a bit short of completing the snag, though.
— There were a few times where Dolphins wide receivers did beat the Falcons defensive backs, mainly the backups. That’s inevitable. What was good to see, though, was Atlanta responding in a fiery fashion, specifically deep along the sidelines.
One of the best examples came from cornerback Jayden Price. Thompson tossed a deep ball to Washington along the right sideline. Price got a hand on it, which actually bounced the ball higher in the air for a hot second. Falcons safety Dane Cruikshank raced over to grab it, but upon hitting the ground, he lost control of the ball. A loud expletive left his mouth afterward, highlighting the defense’s competitive mindset on the afternoon.