Atlanta Falcons Taking A Look at the Preseason Lineup
To kick off their preseason action, the Atlanta Falcons will face the Jets on the road. Since this is the first preseason matchup, it’s more than likely that the starting unit will only do one series.
Although they turned in a highly successful season, the Falcons still failed to live up to their 2017 expectations. Coming off a season in which they made it all the way to the Super Bowl, Atlanta fans had high hopes for a team that failed to get it done in the biggest moment. And while Atlanta’s 10-6 performance made it clear that they weren’t contending with a case of the Super Bowl blues, the team just didn’t perform as dominantly as they had the year before.
Nevertheless, the Falcons still have enough pieces in place to be serious contenders in 2018. And since they’re action will officially commence in the preseason, we’ll be taking a look at their first opponents of the year.
2018 Atlanta Falcons Preseason Lineup
Week 1 || @ New York Jets
To kick off their preseason action, the Falcons will face the Jets on the road. Since this is the first preseason matchup, it’s more than likely that the starting unit will only do one series. Nevertheless, this will be the first look Falcons fans will have to check out this year’s unit.
The New York Jets turned in a disappointing 5-11 season last year to finish dead last in the AFC East. The franchise didn’t make too many changes in the coaching department for 2018. However, that’s not all that shocking since Todd Bowles, their head coach has only been with them since 2015. Still, considering New York has delivered one winning season and that timespan, the Jets need some results this time around. Expect to see New York trying out as much stuff possible in an attempt to see what works.
Week 2 || vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs had a breakout season in 2017 and they’ll be looking to pick up right where they left off this season. However, with a change at the quarterback position, there’s no guarantee the Chiefs offense picks up right where they left off.
Ultimately Kansas City is hoping that Patrick Mahomes II has been developed enough to take over the reins. He’ll be complemented by one of the most explosive backs in the game in Kareem Hunt and is surrounded by great talent all around. No doubt the Falcons defense will be putting him to the test in this preseason matchup.
Week 3 || @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of 2017’s biggest surprises. No one could’ve expected the franchise to go all the way to the AFC Championship game. At least not with Blake Bortles under center. But nevertheless, thanks to a vast improvement on defense, the Jaguars proved that they’re not just some team in the AFC South.
Without a doubt, the addition of Tom Coughlin was the turning point for this franchise. It took but a few years for Jacksonville’s defense to show that vast improvement and there’s no doubt why it happened.
Since this Jags-Falcons matchup will take place in Week 3, fans will get to see a few extra reps out of the starting units. This is one of the more important preseason matchups for Atlanta since the Jags are a worthy challenge. In the end, it will help Atlanta fans see how their 2nd and 3rd stringers measure up against a capable defense.
Week 4 || vs. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins had high hopes for 2017 but an injury to starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill scrapped those plans in the preseason. Miami, head coach Adam Gase in particular, thought it would be a good idea to bring in Jay Cutler. The rest of the solar system knew right away this was a terrible decision and were not surprised one bit to see Miami finish the year with a 6-10 record.
Next: Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Moving forward, Gase is excited to have a healthy quarterback once more. Since this is the final preseason matchup for both teams, you can expect the starters to play a good portion of the game. If that’s the case, it might be a good idea to make some online betting predictions for Matt Ryan & Co.