After a lackluster first preseason game, the Chiefs game we saw last night was a breath of fresh air. Atlanta’s starters did terrific work, scoring on the first drive, shutting down Kansas CIty on their first drive, and generally playing well and staying healthy. If I sound upbeat about that, it’s because we really didn’t need to see much else from Atlanta. Matt Ryan threw crisp passes and moved well in the pocket, Calvin Ridley looked great on a night where Julio Jones was on the sideline, and Tevin Coleman ran well behind an offensive line that blocked well. Defensively, the Falcons largely put the clamps on Patrick Mahomes and Kareem Hunt, and while the pass rush may not have been a standout, the team looked aggressive and physical despite not having Deion Jones on the field at all. The talent was evident, and it was hard not to feel that wild optimism rising again after such a dominant performance. Then the Falcons got the deep reserves in and everything turned into a boring slog. There are a handful of players who will be tough cuts or might even sneak onto the roster—Jon Celestin, Garrison Smith, Malik Williams, and Matt Gono are among them—but there won’t be many. The backups simply haven’t distinguished themselves through two preseason games, and their chances to do so are dwindling. And of course, there’s always a caveat. Just like I encouraged everyone not to read too deeply into last week’s ugly preseason game, I’d also urge you not to read too deeply into this pretty one. The Falcons are very obviously talented and capable of doing things like this to quality football teams, but we’ll need to see them do it in the season before we really feel comfortable with that thought. Last night’s game was, at best, an appetizer, albeit an enticing one. Ultimately, though (and you see me type ultimately, though a lot), it didn’t matter that the Falcons lost this game. It mattered that they are relatively injury-free and largely showed up a tough Chiefs team when they had their best players in the game. It’s not the last time they’re going to run a strong opponent off the field, and I legitimately cannot wait for this season to start. Here’s my typical breakdown of what happened in this one. The Good We saw Matt Ryan moving in the pocket like he has in the last couple of years, escaping pressure and a collapsing pocket on a connection to Austin Hooper and rolling out on a touchdown pass to Hoop later in the same drive. He looks exactly as good as he needs to right now, and we’ll hope for a great season ahead. There should be very little doubt about his ability to achieve one. moving in the pocket like he has in the last couple of years, escaping pressure and a collapsing pocket on a connection to and rolling out on a touchdown pass to Hoop later in the same drive. He looks exactly as good as he needs to right now, and we’ll hope for a great season ahead. There should be very little doubt about his ability to achieve one. Calvin Ridley balled out. His route running looked as good as advertised all night, especially on his 36 yard grab on the first drive of the game and his touchdown reception from Matt Schaub. He could be special, but at the very least, he looks quite advanced for a rookie wideout. balled out. His route running looked as good as advertised all night, especially on his 36 yard grab on the first drive of the game and his touchdown reception from Matt Schaub. He could be special, but at the very least, he looks quite advanced for a rookie wideout. Austin Hooper showed out on the first drive of the game, making a couple of nice (if easy) grabs and turning upfield for a nice gain and a touchdown. If he’s improved this year, the Falcons’ offense is truly lethal. showed out on the first drive of the game, making a couple of nice (if easy) grabs and turning upfield for a nice gain and a touchdown. If he’s improved this year, the Falcons’ offense is truly lethal. Eric Saubert only had one catch, but it was a gorgeous 24 yarder that showed off his athleticism and ability. I don’t know how large a role we can reasonably expect, given how talented this roster is, but Saubert appears to be a legitimate pass catching tight end. only had one catch, but it was a gorgeous 24 yarder that showed off his athleticism and ability. I don’t know how large a role we can reasonably expect, given how talented this roster is, but appears to be a legitimate pass catching tight end. The Falcons’ offensive line blocked well on the first drive, with Brandon Fusco in particular doing some bullying of a pretty strong Chiefs defensive line. If Matt Ryan has time in the pocket and this line run blocks well—and that’s one of Fusco ’s strengths, by the way—this offense is going to be hard to stop. It’s worth noting that Wes Schweitzer also did nice work blocking for Ito Smith once the first team offense was off the field. I’m getting overly excited, here. in particular doing some bullying of a pretty strong Chiefs defensive line. If has time in the pocket and this line run blocks well—and that’s one of ’s strengths, by the way—this offense is going to be hard to stop. It’s worth noting that also did nice work blocking for Ito once the first team offense was off the field. I’m getting overly excited, here. Deadrin Senat made his presence known again, most notably on a first quarter run stop where he just sort of enveloped Kareem Hunt, like an amoeba swallows a protozoa or something. It was impressive. made his presence known again, most notably on a first quarter run stop where he just sort of enveloped Kareem Hunt, like an amoeba swallows a protozoa or something. It was impressive. Damontae Kazee didn’t pile up tackles the way he did in the first preseason game, but he did pick off Patrick Mahomes. The Falcons are simply going to need to find a way to get him onto the field, and early on, it may come as part of three safety sets or as a part-time nickel cornerback. didn’t pile up tackles the way he did in the first preseason game, but he did pick off Patrick Mahomes. The Falcons are simply going to need to find a way to get him onto the field, and early on, it may come as part of three safety sets or as a part-time nickel cornerback. Jon Celestin led the team in tackles and is working his ass off to make this football team, which is deserving of our enduring respect. Given the depth and talent at linebacker—and the fact that both Duke Riley and Foye Oluokun had at least solid nights—he’s likely ticketed for the practice squad at best. and Foye Oluokun had at least solid nights—he’s likely ticketed for the practice squad at best. Garrison Smith got the smallest leg up on the fifth defensive tackle battle by sacking Matt McGloin in the fourth quarter. While McGloin was already stumbling, Smith put himself in a good position by fighting through the Chiefs defensive line, and put some solid play on tape last night, especially against the run. He’s still my favorite for the gig, even if Jacob Tuioti-Mariner also picked up a sack. got the smallest leg up on the fifth defensive tackle battle by sacking in the fourth quarter. While McGloin was already stumbling, put himself in a good position by fighting through the Chiefs defensive line, and put some solid play on tape last night, especially against the run. He’s still my favorite for the gig, even if also picked up a sack. It’s preseason, but Matt Bosher was booting the hell out of the football. He’ll be properly appreciated during the season, when that leg ends up helping out the Falcons a great deal on kickoffs and punts, but for now let’s tip our cap to him regardless. The Ugly Kurt Benkert has talent, and he showed it against the Jets. He’s also not quite ready to really fight for the backup role on this football team, as he showed against the Chiefs. Benkert made some bad throws, faltered a bit under pressure, and just generally had a quiet night against Kansas City’s reserves. He should be headed for the practice squad, but last night was a good reminder of how much work is ahead of him. has talent, and he showed it against the Jets. He’s also not quite ready to really fight for the backup role on this football team, as he showed against the Chiefs. made some bad throws, faltered a bit under pressure, and just generally had a quiet night against Kansas City’s reserves. He should be headed for the practice squad, but last night was a good reminder of how much work is ahead of him. If, like me, you were hoping for an immediate Isaiah Oliver impact, you were disappointed last night. Oliver was mostly anonymous until he got crisped by Gehrig Dieter for a 27 yard score where the rookie corner simply missed his opportunity to jam the receiver, which was not a great look. Ultimately, the fact that the Falcons have Brian Poole and Damontae Kazee lurking might push him into a lesser role early, but he’ll be a personal protector on returns because he is excelling there. impact, you were disappointed last night. was mostly anonymous until he got crisped by for a 27 yard score where the rookie corner simply missed his opportunity to jam the receiver, which was not a great look. Ultimately, the fact that the Falcons have and lurking might push him into a lesser role early, but he’ll be a personal protector on returns because he is excelling there. Ito Smith has the speed and wiggle to win a returner job, but he muffed two kickoffs, even if he did ultimately recover them. That might put someone else ahead of him, because Keith Armstrong hates that stuff. Unfortunately for Marvin Hall , who is good enough to be a roster lock, he also dropped a kickoff and lost his man as a gunner on one return in the second half, ensuring he’ll also earn Armstrong’s wrath. We’re not closer to figuring out who the returner will be, sadly. has the speed and wiggle to win a returner job, but he muffed two kickoffs, even if he did ultimately recover them. That might put someone else ahead of him, because Keith Armstrong hates that stuff. Unfortunately for , who is good enough to be a roster lock, he also dropped a kickoff and lost his man as a gunner on one return in the second half, ensuring he’ll also earn Armstrong’s wrath. We’re not closer to figuring out who the returner will be, sadly. The deep reserves on defense really struggled, and the Falcons are going to have to parse that tape pretty carefully if they want to find standouts. You had a couple of nice plays from Garrison Smith , Jonathan Celestin and Richard Jarvis hustling, and...not much else. The Chiefs simply blew them off the field, which is an ominous sign for many roster hopefuls. A second or even third viewing might turn up a few players who did well, but on first blush, there wasn’t much to get excited about. The Wrapup Game MVP Give it up to Calvin Ridley, who was terrific on offense and special teams and should have a very bright future in Atlanta. One Takeaway The starters are, with the possible exception of Deion Jones, exactly as healthy and ready as they need to be. Next Week You’ll need to wait until next Saturday, but it’s that critical third preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Big Cat Country for more about the Jags. Final Word It’sonlypreseasonbutitwasfun.<doc-sep>Winners Kansas City Chiefs fans got to see one of the magical passing plays they have hoped and prayed for — and over the past few seasons, fought over — when Patrick Mahomes chucked it into the upper atmosphere, and Tyreek Hill brought it in for a landing just before halftime. It was a meaningless pass in a faux game, but 20 years from now, Chiefs fans will still be talking about it. Patrick Mahomes played pretty darned well, by golly! Shoot... we all just knew he’d throw more interceptions than y’all are used to seeing in these parts, and he did. Just one of ‘em went on that stat sheet over yonder — there was another’n that Atlanta fella probably shoulda picked off — so I guess our boy’s a lucky one, too! But my pappy always said you should never count on luck. Andy’ll learn him, though. Don’t worry about it, y’all. Boy’s got talent. Ben Niemann has been the talk of the analysts this week, and he looked the part Friday night, with a 26-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach. Let’s give Armani Watts an honorable mention for punching out a fumble on Atlanta’s final drive. These are the kinds of plays that have kept the Chiefs defense effective during Bob Sutton’s tenure. They’ll get you noticed. Tremon Smith had three solo tackles, a pass defensed and four kick returns — one of them a nifty 37-yard punt return. That’ll work. The Chiefs run defense gave up 3.3 yards per attempt on the ground, which is a much more acceptable number than what we saw last week. That’s good... buuuut... Losers The Chiefs pass defense gave up a lot of big plays early on. The Falcons quarterbacks combined for just 195 yards in the game, but 89 of those came on just three plays in the first half. Those big plays kept the defense on its heels, and the Falcons marching down the field. Not good. Eric Berry didn’t play, still nursing a sore heel. Just in case nobody has explained it to you yet, it is not the same foot he injured last year. But he’s a valuable starter — a team leader — and you can’t blame the Chiefs for keeping him on the preseason sidelines until he’s 100 percent. But we’d all have a much better idea of what to expect from the Chiefs defense if Berry was running with the 1s right now De’Anthony who? He was reported to be in uniform and on the field. What happened? The Chiefs offensive line is a loser only because they lost some of the negative karma that’s been surrounding them all week. I’m sure you’ll hear a lot of people complaining about this play or that play this week, but if your quarterbacks go 25/32, you must be doing something right. We’ve been here before. There’s always a lot of mystery about Andy Red’s offensive lines before Week 1, as they shuffle guys around. They’ll figure it out. Sammy Watkins didn’t have a fun night. He didn’t play last week, but this week, the result was exactly the same: no receptions. In fairness to Watkins — who was targeted three times — one of those passes was intercepted and another one probably should have been. But Watkins dropped the third one. Maybe he shouldn’t have cut his hair.<doc-sep>
The Falcons stayed healthy and the team’s starters looked borderline dominant. I really can’t say anything more encouraging about this game than that. Atlanta moved the ball well on offense and played extremely well on defense until the starters exited the game, and if things got worse from there, that’s perfectly understandable, especially since the Chiefs’ first team offense was going up against backups. We saw what we needed to see, and the Falcons didn’t lose anyone they couldn’t afford to lose. Atlanta’s now in good shape and on track to give the starters a little more run against the tough Jaguars defense a week from now. Here’s a breakdown of the game, quarter-by-quarter. First Quarter The Falcons got things moving right away with a nice return by Calvin Ridley, who showed wiggle and strength on a nearly 30 yard return, including a nice stiff arm. The offense didn’t oblige after that, though, with Matt Ryan missing on a pass to Ridley, Tevin Coleman slipping on his first carry, and...oh, wait, a first down. Matt Ryan hit Austin Hooper, Tevin Coleman picked up more than ten on the next carry, 13 yards on the subsequent carry, and the Falcons were well into the red zone. Matt Ryan found Austin Hooper on a rollout and touchdown, Falcons, giving them their first points of preseason. Falcons 7 - Chiefs 0 The Falcons, meanwhile, got a three and out. Brooks Reed and Duke Riley came up with stops after short runs, while Brian Poole absolutely drilled a Chiefs receiver short of the first down to force Kansas City (which is not in Kansas) to punt. The Falcons got moving again early on the next drive, with Ryan finding Marvin Hall over the middle for a quick 16 yard gain. Then, after a quick Coleman run and Chiefs penalty, Ryan bombed one to Calvin Ridley for 36 yards. The Falcons did ultimately stall out after going for it on fourth down, but it’s preseason, and they were definitely within field goal range, had it been the regular season. The Chiefs got it moving a little bit thanks to penalties (a wrong helmet rule call on Keanu Neal) and some nice passes (Mahomes has a bit of an arm). We also saw the Falcons front seven really eating up that Kansas City offensive line, however, which was awfully encouraging. Second Quarter It was less encouraging to see Mahomes firing the ball out and moving the Chiefs down inside Atlanta’s 20. They almost scored, too, but a penalty brought them back and the Falcons nearly intercepted two straight passes and forced a field goal. Falcons 7 - Chiefs 3 Matt Schaub got in the game, and against all odds, played very well. He connected with Justin Hardy and Russell Gage on back-to-back throws, though the one to Gage was a little high, and the Falcons were off to the races. Ito Smith picked up a couple of nice gains, even if he maybe spun a little too much en route to a first down. The Falcons got into the red zone, though, and Calvin Ridley ran a beautiful route to grab his first touchdown. Falcons winning by quite a bit, now. Falcons 14 - Chiefs 3 Damontae Kazee got the interception. He is a beautiful man, and a talented one, and the Falcons are going to have to find some playing time for him. The only question is how much, and where. The Falcons got driving and got inside the red zone, and once again tried to go for it on fourth down. Despite not converting, it’s nice to see them trying things out in preseason, and you had to like the blocking from young fullback Ricky Ortiz, who figures to have the fullback job all but sewn up at this point. The Chiefs looked like they might move a little, but that was before Patrick Mahomes showed off the arm that made him a first round pick in the first place. Against Atlanta’s (mostly) second-team defense, he hit Tyreek Hill on a 69 yard touchdown pass that was in the air most of that span, putting Kansas City close. It was a legitimately impressive throw. Falcons 14 - Chiefs 10 Third Quarter With the deep reserves in, things started to go awry. The Falcons missed tackles and took bad angles as Chad Henne and the Chiefs offense went to work, and as a result, Kansas City was able to move down field pretty effectively.