The Falcons finished their first preseason game against the Dolphins, and several things stood out to me. Here is the good, bad, and ugly from what I saw in Friday’s exhibition contest.

The Good

Michael Penix Jr. and Casey Washington

The first and sixth-round picks impressed. Washington and Penix already have a connection. The rookie receiver didn’t put up gaudy stats, but Washington displayed the traits that will eventually help him carve out a role in this offense, perhaps even as early as this year with Rondale Moore now out for the season.

Penix ended up with 104 yards on 9-of-16 passing with no touchdowns or turnovers. At times, he looked sporadic but displayed the exact kind of arm that had Falcons coaches excited through the draft process. I can’t wait to watch him suit up this week against the Ravens on Saturday.

The Bad

Injuries are already costing the Falcons dearly

The Falcons lost three key pieces in Rondale Moore, DeMarcco Hellams, and Bralen Trice.

Moore was lost to a season-ending injury during joint practices with the Dolphins, while Trice went down with a knee injury during the exhibition contest, one that will also cost him the 2024 season. Hellams is expected to miss significant time too.

Moore wasn’t expected to have a big impact, competing for the WR3 role with Ray-Ray McCloud, but losing the two defenders is much more costly. Hellams and Trice were expected to compete for starting roles. Now, what will the Falcons do?

The Ugly

Taylor Heinicke

Penix got the start, and Heinicke came in after him for the Falcons, but the veteran backup looked horrid. Heinicke went 4-of-11 for 11 yards as well as losing a fumble on a snap. Nathan Rourke out-produced Heinicke. The writing is on the wall for him, but somehow the Falcons felt releasing Rourke was the correct decision. Heinicke can’t last much longer either.

Arnold Ebiketie

A combination of Ebiketie’s shortcomings and Trice’s injury has me extremely pessimistic about the Falcons. The former second-round pick didn’t stand out against Miami’s terrible second-string offensive line, failing to get any pressure on the Dolphins’ quarterback. The Falcons are now depending on Arnold Ebikeite in his third year more than ever, and his first exposure during the 2024 campaign sparked very little confidence.

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