There was a lot of anticipation headed into the Atlanta Falcons' first preseason game. It would be the first opportunity to see the Falcons with Arthur Smith as the head coach. Here are three observations from Friday night's matchup against the Tennessee Titans:
1. All Sacks Matter
Dean Pees showed that sacking the quarterback can really help a defense get off the field when it needs to. The defense ended the first two drives with sacks on third down. Jonathan Bullard got the party started with the first sack on the first drive. Mykal Walker and Adetokunbo Ogundeji combined for the sack that ended the second drive of the game. With mostly backups in the game, it was good to see what a Pees coached defense looks like.
2. Jaylinn Hawkins got something to say as well
The 2020 fourth-round pick out of California came into the league at a disadvantage. There was a whole pandemic going on, and to say that it was hard for all rookies to get acclimated is an understatement. Hawkins has gotten off to a good start in 2021. He has opened eyes at training camp and is starting to really hit his stride. He continued that on Friday night against the Titans. He had a really nice open-field tackle and had a sack to end the Titans drive right before the half. Hawkins looks like he is really starting to settle in and it’s evident why the previous regime took a flyer on him last year.
3. The quarterback play left a lot to be desired
With Matt Ryan not being dressed out, this game was a prime opportunity for A.J. McCarron to prove that he can still play football. Behind an offensive line with mostly backups, McCarron had a pretty rough outing. He was sacked twice and had a 14.6 quarterback rating. The eight-year veteran may find himself in a battle with Feleipe Franks to be the backup quarterback. The offense looked stagnant with McCarron. But with Franks at the helm they were able to at least move the football some. Franks did it mostly with his legs, rushing for 76 yards on four carries.