Atlanta Falcons conclude preseason with 24-14 win

Mercifully, the preseason is over for the Atlanta Falcons.

In the final exhibition game, the Falcons took an early lead on the strength of a near-flawless drive engineered by quarterback T.J. Yates, and from there, there was no looking back for Mike Smith‘s club on the way to a 24-14 victory. Unfortunately, the first team offense was virtually absent from the game, as Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White (among others) were happily watching from the sidelines throughout the game.

The biggest offensive note of the night was the performance of the aforementioned Yates in his final push to overtake Sean Renfree for the backup quarterback position. Yates went 3-for-3 on the first touchdown drive of the night, and for the game (he played the first half), he finished with 243 yards on just 20 pass attempts (completing 15 passes) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Renfree did respond with a 9-for-12 effort in relief, but if most pundits believed the job was Renfree’s to lose, Yates did a solid job in getting back into the mix.

In the backfield, rookie Devonta Freeman stood out with 42 yards on 12 carries, including a touchdown. Freeman continues to be an adventure in pass protection, but it is easy to see his natural ability as a runner, and that makes him a valuable commodity as Steven Jackson attempts to heal.

The offensive line played reasonably well throughout the night as well, with the great exception of Peter Konz. The position battles continue on various parts of both the offensive line and defensive backfield, but until the final roster cuts, no defined “winners” will be crowned.

Now, the Atlanta Falcons will have ten days before opening the regular season against the New Orleans Saints on September 7. Stay tuned.