Preseason games can be challenging to gauge who will win or lose, but some players certainly stood out on Friday night. One such player was rookie cornerback Storm Duck who did an admirable job of coverage.
Negatively, defensive back DeMarcco Hellams and rookie EDGE Bralen Trice both left with injuries during the game; more information will become known postgame.
In this article, we will discuss the main points or top players of Atlanta Falcons Vs Miami Dolphins Match Player Stats.
Miami Dolphins
| Player | Position | Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Skylar Thompson | Quarterback | 6 completions on 10 attempts, 56 yards, 1 touchdown |
| Jason Sanders | Kicker | 2 field goals made, including a 58-yarder |
| Justin Bethel | Cornerback | Key interception in the fourth quarter |
Atlanta Falcons
| Player | Position | Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Penix Jr. | Quarterback | 9 completions on 16 attempts, 104 yards |
| Carlos Washington | Running Back | 1-yard touchdown run |
| Younghoe Koo | Kicker | 2 field goals made, including a 53-yarder |
WR Braylon Sanders
MIAMI GARDENS — From their lack of depth at wide receiver to uninspiring play from their defensive front, the 2024 Atlanta Falcons struggled in their opening regular season game against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday. Losing by 20-13.
Kevin King was worthy of recognition as the “Player of the Game” during an exhibition game. On 21 snaps he made some notable plays – such as collecting Skylar Thompson’s pass near midfield and returning it all the way to Miami Dolphins 16-yard line; forcing a fumble that went out-of-bounds before any Dolphins returner could recover it; as well as forcing another one which ended up going out-of-bounds before being recovered by Miami.
King was unfortunately pitted against Dolphins WR Donte Stallworth, who made seven receptions and 132 yards against their secondary. King made headlines early in the second quarter when he outwitted Stallworth deep for a 40-yard catch that set up their opening touchdown drive.
No starting offensive linemen appeared during the first half, leaving it up to their reserves to carry the load. Barry Wesley filled left tackle while Julien Davenport left guard, Jovaughn Gwyn center and Kyle Hinton right guard all played important roles before Storm Norton joined as right tackle.
As neither of the first-team running backs played, most of the work fell on second-teamers to carry the load. Carlos Washington led with 81 yards on 30 carries while rookie RB Jaylen Wright also registered some yards rushing.
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
Due to Raheem Mostert’s (chest) uncertainty, Wilson could play an expanded role against the Titans on Monday night. Unfortunately, however, Wilson lacks some speed compared to Mostert and rookie Jaylen Wright and would therefore be best used as a lower-end FLEX instead of high-floor starter.
Wilson appears fully healthy after suffering a minor oblique injury against Buffalo in Week 2. While limited practice participation this week may limit his playing time this Sunday, Wilson should still see some passing game work and remains an ideal deep fantasy league option.
Wilson caught two of three targets for 12 yards during Atlanta Falcons second preseason game, making a notable deep ball catch but getting less work due to other primary wideouts like sixth-round rookie Casey Washington receiving more coverage in receiving corps.
Wilson also excels on special teams, which should help him continue seeing increased playing time. Wilson made one of his signature plays of the day on punt returns – taking down Miami 25-yard line return man and forcing a fumble by taking down returner at Miami 25 yard line to force a fumble!
Wilson ran five times for 26 yards in Week 1 against Jacksonville and will likely play this weekend against Seattle; however, he may split time among De’Von Achane, Mostert, Jaylen Wright and rookie De’Von Achane as backfield teammates aren’t likely to miss games or become sidelined; for now Wilson may be best left as an offseason waiver wire option while Achane may offer the safer long-term fantasy options in this backfield.
RB Jaylen Wright
Wright from Tennessee saw considerable action during this game as De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert were both injured, taking 13 carries for an impressive 86 yard gain on 13 touches – an all-time career high!
Wright made his best play on the team’s second punt return, where he ran through an opening to make an immediate impactful play that showcased his versatility as a rookie RB. It should provide plenty of additional chances for Wright to gain yardage going forward.
However, his pass-catching ability was somewhat limited in this game. He only caught one pass for seven yards and was held out of the end zone on two other attempts. Still, Wright should see plenty of playing time going forward and could be an ideal solution for fantasy managers needing a running back in deep leagues.
Michael Penix Jr.’s first outing as Falcons rookie quarterback wasn’t smooth, as he struggled with accuracy early in the first quarter before showing some glimpses of hope late in the quarter with some impressive throws – one going down the sideline for 41 yards to Chris Blair. However, after an uneven first half performance by Penix Jr. – including being benched due to inaccuracy – late in the quarter showed some signs of life for Penix Jr. who managed a couple of touchdowns late in that quarter with two impressive throws made late in that quarter that showed signs of life late on and late in that quarter with two incredible throws made towards Chris Blair down the sideline for 41 yard touchdown pass completion down the sideline!
Miami’s secondary was not at its best in this game. Cornerback Ethan Bonner was particularly vulnerable, suffering back-to-back third down incompletions from Penix that resulted in screen pass misplayed for a big loss on consecutive plays, then permitting Malik Washington’s miscue to result in a safety.
RB Chris Brooks
Though he did not score, Brooks made an impactful special teams play in this game. A sixth-round draft pick out of BYU, Brooks made a powerful impression as he vies for a spot on the 53-man roster due to injuries to Jeff Wilson Jr and De’Von Achane. Running six times for 33 yards while making one target into a 10-yard reception and returning two kickoffs for 18 yards total, Brooks proved an effective special teams contributor against Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.
After winning the coin toss, Atlanta elected to receive the opening kickoff. They selected Carlos Washington and Micah Abernathy as kickoff returners; both returned the ball 23 yards, with Washington showing more impressive speed on his run back toward their 23-yard line.
Falcons secondary was far from impressive on Friday night, as Ethan Bonner and Isaiah Johnson both were burned for 41-yard completions to Chris Blair by rookie quarterback Michael Penix, respectively. Bonner managed to break up two third-down passes from Michael Penix while also making an outstanding play on a contested pass early in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Atlanta Falcons defense suffered two disappointing injuries: safety DeMarcco Hellams and rookie EDGE Bralen Trice were taken out with minor niggles, yet still disappointing to their defensive unit who needed an edge. Hellams was particularly troubling to the Falcons since he has been one of their best depth options throughout preseason.
RB Chris Drummond
After an inauspicious beginning, the Dolphins eventually took the lead with a 58-yard field goal from kicker Jason Sanders in the first quarter. Next came an exciting 6-yard touchdown run by rookie running back Jaylen Wright in the second quarter that thrilled Hard Rock Stadium crowds.
No first-teamers from tonight’s lineup saw action; with Kion Smith and Jack Driscoll being notable exceptions. But Patrick Paul (rookie second round pick) and Sean Harlow (veteran newcomer) both contributed significantly to the Dolphins’ strong first half performance by showing excellent pass protection as well as being adept at getting into passing lanes.
DeMarcco Hellams left with an injury to his shoulder after only his first preseason game; an early injury for an edge player such as Hellams is never good news.
Rookie cornerback Storm Duck had an outstanding night in coverage, making two critical plays to incompletions by Taylor Heinicke of deep passes from Taylor Heinicke. And Nik Needham made headlines on special teams by first blocking Atlanta’s Carlos Washington from returning the punt return and then forcing him out-of-bounds for an offensive loss on another play.
DeAngelo Malone played an essential role in the Dolphins’ special teams defense as well. He stopped their first punt return of the game from reaching Atlanta’s end zone, before stopping a subsequent return before it could reach it. Thanks to him and other defensive personnel in their ranks, no punt returns reached either team’s end zone and none other during this game were permitted by either defense.
