The Atlanta Falcons continue their week of preparation ahead of their second preseason game taking place this Friday at home vs Cincinnati. The team has had some minor setbacks with LB Ade Ogundeji hitting the IR with a lower leg injury and RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson set to miss the next few weeks with a soft tissue injury. The team, however, has been excelling in practice despite their injuries and looks to build off their success in Miami last week.
Head Coach Arthur Smith announced last week that the starters will see game action on Friday, although it has not been announced how much they will play. Quarterback Desmond Ridder spoke earlier this week and said he is excited to “feel the game” in regards to getting live game reps as opposed to practices and scrimmages. None of the team’s expected starters saw much, if any, game action against the Dolphins.
Dukes & Bell welcomed ESPN Falcons Reporter Michael Rothstein to the show on Wednesday to discuss just how much work the starters will get.
“They’re getting good work. They’ll play an X number of reps, Arthur Smith wouldn’t say how much, my guess would be it various by position group. Then they’ll set them down and the next time you see them will be September 10th vs Carolina," Rothstein explained
The only real controversy this offseason for the team has been how much work Ridder will see before Week 1 vs Carolina. Some fans and media argue the more reps the better for Ridder, while others look to Coach Smith and his plan as what is best for the team. Only time will tell how many snaps the young QB gets vs a Bengals team that is expected to compete for a Super Bowl.
