Falcons vs. Dolphins: Top Matchups to Watch in Preseason Clash

It is dress rehearsal time in Week 3 of the preseason, and when the Atlanta Falcons take on the Miami Dolphins, there will be marquee matchups you'll be sure not to miss.

Between coaches faces their former team, two young quarterbacks going at it, exciting skill player duos squaring off, and young guns with plenty to prove in starting roles, what's not to like?

Here are the top five tussles to watch in Miami on Friday night.

Roddy White & Julio Jones vs. Dolphins Cornerback Trio

Arguably the most dynamic wide receiver duo in the NFL in the Falcons' White and Jones go against a formidable cornerback group of Sean Smith, Richard Marshall and Vontae Davis.

Marshall was acquired in free agency this summer and is slated to start ahead of Davis, despite the fact that the former first-round pick has been considered the team's best corner for years.

That's taking nothing away from Marshall.

According to ESPN's NFC West blogger Mike Sando, Marshall was a jack of all trades last season for the Arizona Cardinals. He could cover on the outside, play nickelback and even some safety.

Ample opportunities and good coverage against such formidable receivers could help Davis earn back his starting job. However, he clearly has a lot to prove to the coaching staff.

Now, more about those Falcons wideouts: Jones had something very interesting to say about how he would prepare against Atlanta's dangerous offense, as reported by Yahoo! writer Michael Silver:

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"You know what I would do? Just pack up my stuff and go home...I mean, who are you gonna double? Tony? Roddy? Me? That's six people. What are you gonna do?"

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The Dolphins may have enough depth at corner to match up one-on-one with White and double Jones. Miami's top 10-caliber defense from last year returns largely intact, and they won't simply pack it in.

Ryan Tannehill vs. Matt Ryan

Two of the game's most exciting young quarterbacks go at it, albeit in very different parts of their respective careers.

Tannehill has flashed some potential. The No. 8 overall pick should continue to benefit from having his college offensive coordinator Mike Sherman calling the plays. He still has a long way to go, though.

Meanwhile, Ryan is entering his fifth season and looks as sharp as ever, registering a 114.3 passer rating in the preseason against two tough AFC North defenses in the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. Granted, both of those were home games in the friendly indoor confines of the Georgia Dome.

Both quarterbacks will have their work cut out for them against tenacious defenses, but Tannehill would certainly turn some heads if he can outplay Ryan.

Jake Long and Jonathan Martin vs. John Abraham and Ray Edwards

The Dolphins' two young offensive tackles will have their hands full with one of the top pass-rushing tandems in football screaming off the edge.

Long is the anchor at left tackle and should be able to hold his own against the aging Abraham. Meanwhile, Edwards may have his way with the rookie right tackle out of Stanford.

If Martin can't manage to keep Edwards from pressuring Tannehill, it may be a long night for the Dolphins' rookie signal-caller.

Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan may not flash too many looks from his notoriously tricky schemes, but forcing Tannehill off his spot in the pocket without blitzing would open up more options in crucial third-down situations.

Atlanta Linebackers vs. Reggie Bush

Middle linebacker Akeem Dent has big shoes to fill. Pro Bowler Curtis Lofton fled to New Orleans as a free agent this past offseason, and it's been tough sledding for the second-year player out of Georgia already.

Dent will return to the starting lineup after suffering a concussion in the preseason opener, but will face a physical ground game spearheaded by Bush.

Along with Stephen Nicholas and Sean Weatherspoon, Dent will be expected to make plays on the versatile Miami back, who had a breakout 1,000-yard season in 2011.

Ryan Tannehill will likely be looking for short, easier completions to build his confidence early on, which means Bush should emerge as a dangerous threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Whether it's man-to-man coverage or chasing him down after the catch, the Falcons' linebacker corps better watch out for No. 22.

Mike vs. Mike

Whether the Dolphins' exceptional defense from last season carries over remains to be seen, but the unit benefited greatly from former coach Mike Nolan.

On Friday night, Nolan will be on the opposing sideline.

While Miami doesn't have to worry about the potential advantage of insider knowledge, Nolan seems to have the Midas touch with every defense he works with.

As mentioned earlier, offensive coordinator Mike Sherman has his quarterback in Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M. Not only does the rookie bring exceptional arm talent to the position, but he also has incredible athleticism.

It would be neat to see some sort of zone-read thrown into the mix with Tannehill and Reggie Bush to keep Nolan off balance. Then again, it's the preseason, so who knows how much either side will show their hand?

Either way, the familiarity factor of the Tannehill-Sherman combo being tested by Nolan's genius will be interesting to watch.