Tua Drops Honest Quote After Struggles in Falcons' Preseason Debut amid Michael Penix Jr. QB1 Battle

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn't mince words about the team's performance following. 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos on Friday night in their preseason opener.

Tua, who got the start and went 3-of-5 for 22 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, told reporters that the Falcons' play was "definitely not up to standard, not even up to par."

Tagovailoa added, "Frustrated and disappointed at the way things happened tonight as we went out there."

Key offensive players such as running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts saw limited snaps for Atlanta, meaning the team was not a true representation of what they will be during the regular season.

Still, it is fair to have concerns about the Falcons' quarterback situation given Tagovailoa's recent track record and Michael Penix Jr.'s slow return from injury.

Atlanta signed Tua this offseason after he spent his first six seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Tua lost his starting job late last season in Miami after going 6-8 in 14 starts and throwing for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Tua is competing for Atlanta's starting job with the 2024 No. 8 overall draft pick in Penix, but he still hasn't been cleared to practice in full amid his recovery from a torn ACL, and he did not play in Saturday's game.

Things started off shaky for Tagovailoa and the Falcons' offense on Saturday, as he fumbled the ball on the second play from scrimmage and jumped on it.

Tua suggested that things were out of sync from there, saying, "Just thinking about it, what we put out there is not a reflection of the hard work that we've put in the first two weeks into training camp, and it does no justice for the work that our coaches, as well, have implemented. So it starts with me. I got to be better with that. I thought off of that [second] play, [things] kind of got out of the rhythm."

Tagovailoa was also critical of his own performance in terms of where it places him in his bid to win the Falcons' starting quarterback job, saying, "I'm competing. I'm wanting to go out there for points on the board, not go out there and we'll go three-and-out, three-and-out—not be able to perform to the level that I know I'm able to do. So always looking at everything as a competition, but just got to be better."

Although Saturday did not go the way he wanted it to, it still feels as though Tua has a significant leg up in the quarterback competition.

If Penix is not fully cleared soon, then it will be difficult for him to make his case to be the starter when the regular season starts.

Veteran Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand are the other quarterbacks on the roster, and neither of them did much to impress the coaching staff either.

Rush went 7-of-19 for 62 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, while Strand went 6-of-12 for 50 yards with no touchdowns or picks.

The Falcons will look to get back on track on Aug. 22 when they go on the road to face the Indianapolis Colts in their second of three preseason contests.