Atlanta Falcons Preseason: 5 Things We've Learned So Far

After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-16 on Saturday the Atlanta Falcons' preseason record fell to 0-3. There are a lot of people who are hitting the panic button already. Let's calm down folks.

You always hear people say, "It's just preseason, it doesn't matter." This point is true to an extent. Yes, a team's preseason record is typically a poor indication of how they will fair during the regular season.

Take the Indianapolis Colts for example like everyone else does. The Colts are the team that everyone references when someone has a bad preseason. Why? Indianapolis has finished with a losing record in everyone preseason since 2004, yet they have had a winning record in the regular season every year as well.

There is no doubt that the Falcons have some things to work on, but there have also been some bright spots in the three games they have played so far. 

1) There's No Need to Panic

If you read the introduction then you should know what this means already. The Falcons are 0-3, but things are far from crisis mode.

Let's look at each game individually to give a better perspective on how things have really gone this preseason.

Game one: Miami Dolphins.

The Falcons led 17-0 at the end of the first quarter. Matt Ryan did not even play the entire quarter, John Park Wilson came in after Ryan started three series.

That's all you need to know from that game. The Falcons were still ahead at halftime 17-14. It was a close game the rest of the way, but the backups were playing. Adam Froman was quarterback at the end of the game. No one should be worried about this loss.

Game two: at Jacksonville Jaguars.

Most of the Falcons' starters played for the whole first half. They led the Jaguars 10-3 at halftime. Matt Ryan did not look as sharp as he did against the Dolphins, but he and the offense still got the job done.

The defense looked solid as well. They forced two turnovers in the Jaguars first two possessions.

But the same story followed in the second half, the backups entered and the game became closer. The Jaguars, led by Luke McCown at the end—I honestly didn't know he still played—managed to take the lead with a little over six minutes remaining. Chris Redman couldn't come up clutch, and that's how that game ended.

Game three: at Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Falcons game against the Steelers showed us a brief glimpse of the regular season, but we still didn't see enough. Matt Ryan and many of the starters only played the first half again.

Ryan threw 42 passes in one half, something that will never happen during the regular season. They went from the shotgun often and ran the no huddle on several drives.

Don't look at this and think they are going to operate this way during the season. Mike Smith was trying to see what the offense could do in different situations and he had to compress it all into one half.

The defense was disconcerting at times. They gave up several huge plays, something that they cannot allow to continue. There was some blown coverage here and there, but the defense did have impress me on some occasions.

The Falcons face the Baltimore Ravens in their final preseason matchup. Hopefully Atlanta will look a bit more polished, but even if they lose we should not worry...yet.

2) Matt Ryan Likes Julio Jones

Matt Ryan hasn't gotten a chance to play an entire game with Julio Jones, but it is already obvious that the fourth year quarterback has a tendency to find the Falcons first draft pick of 2011.

Jones had several receptions against the Dolphins and Jaguars, but the game against the Steelers really showed us something.

Ryan targeted Jones 13 times, three more that Roddy White. 

Jones finished the first half with five catches for 59 yards. His stats would have been even better if he could have held onto a potential touchdown pass with just under six minutes to go in the second quarter.

Ryan made a great throw, but Jones couldn't hold on as he fell to the ground.

Drops will happen, but the good thing is that Ryan is looking for Jones right away. Expect this trend to continue when the regular season begins.

3) Matt Bryant Is Solid, but Special Teams Isn't Quite There

Matt Bryant, the kicker for the Atlanta Falcons, has had a terrific preseason. The 36-year old veteran has been automatic so far.

Bryant has been perfect in three games, connecting on all eight field goal attempts.

After finishing last season with 90 percent accuracy, there isn't anything to worry about when it comes to field goals for the Falcons.

The rest of their special teams hasn't been as impressive. Matt Bosher has won the punting and kickoff duties, but he looked a little rough against Pittsburgh, averaging only 35 yards per punt.

He also received a horse collar penalty after taking down Antonio Brown on the opening kickoff, but we can't really blame him for that.

The special teams coverage has allowed some big returns, including a touchdown on a punt return from Phillip Livas and the 50-yard return by Brown. They will need to tighten things up to ensure that the Falcons' opponents don't continue to get great field position. 

4) Defense Still Needs Work

Even though the Falcons' defense allowed the fifth fewest points in the NFL last season, they were still dominated by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.

They return in 2011 with a few new faces and some more experience to build off of. However, they still look like they have some issues to sort out.

What happened against Pittsburgh? Brent Grimes was caught going for a pick when Ben Roethlisberger made a great pass to Antonio Brown that resulted in a 77-yard touchdown.

Grimes was left laying on the ground, and Thomas DeCoud, who already looked out of position, was forced to pretend like he could catch Brown.

Six minutes later Brown caught another ball for a touchdown. This time Grimes attempted to pick off the lob thrown by Big Ben, but he couldn't quite get there and Brown took from right out in front of him.

Dominique Franks, who could potentially start at nickelback, looked lost on several plays against Pittsburgh.

The defensive line hasn't given up much against the run this preseason. The Falcons faired well against the run last year and they expect to do the same in 2011, especially with the newly acquired Ray Edwards.

Things look to be stable for now, but there are definitely some areas for improvement on this defense. 

5) Beware of the Big Play

The big plays have killed the Falcons this preseason.

They gave up a 75-yard punt return and a 44-yard pass against the Dolphins, both resulting in touchdowns.

I've already discussed the several big plays they gave up against the Steelers. The Falcons play aggressively at times—Brent Grimes is a prime example—but they need to limit these momentum killers.

One play can change the way a game goes, we've seen it this preseason. If the Falcons had prevented just one of these plays against the Dolphins, they would not be 0-3.