Preseason Week 3 Preview: Falcons vs Dolphins

Tonight, the Atlanta Falcons will take on the Miami Dolphins in the third preseason game of the year. It has become an NFL tradition to designate the third preseason game as a dress rehearsal for the starting players. So tonight, expect the Dolphins and Falcons starters to play for at least the first half.

Here’s an offensive and defensive preview of tonight’s game.

Offense:

Tevin Coleman's touchdown against Ohio State last season

Rookie running back Tevin Coleman will make his preseason debut tonight after recovering from a hamstring injury. Many Falcons fans are excited to see the guy who ran for over 2,000 yards in his final year at Indiana University. Coleman's ability to find the open running lanes and explode through them makes him such a dynamic player. His open-field speed is tremendous and he’s prone to break of explosive runs.

With Coleman stepping in as the starting running back, Terron Ward and Jerome Smith likely won’t see much playing time tonight. Ward and Smith have not been very impressive this preseason with a combined average of less than 4 yards per carry. However, the rookie running back will certainly be in for a tough test tonight as he faces a fearsome Miami front four starring defensive end Cameron Wake and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Julio Jones touchdown vs Tennessee in Week 1 of pre-season

The Miami front four will test the Falcons passing game as well. The starting offensive line has done a great job of keeping Matt Ryan protected so far throughout the preseason. That protection has allowed Matt to complete 10/11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

Defense:

Jarvis Landry touchdown vs Green Bay last season

The Atlanta defense will face a decent challenge tonight against a talented Dolphins offense led by quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The young quarterback has been very impressive thus far in the preseason posting a (126.9) passer rating.

The Miami wide receivers will certainly test the Falcons secondary; especially with Desmond Trufant out. Defending receivers Jarvis Landry, Rishard Mathews, Kenny Stills, and Greg Jennings will serve as a great opportunity for cornerbacks Philip Adams, Robert Alford, and Jalen Collins to show how ready they are for the regular season.

Adrian Clayborn getting a first quarter sack 

As always, Falcons fans will want to keep an eye on the Atlanta pass rush. Vic Beasley, Adrian Clayborn, and Tyson Jackson have done a great job pressuring the quarterback in the first two preseason games. If the Falcons first-team defense can generate an effective pass rush throughout their playing time tonight, Falcons fans should definitely be “fired up” for the regular season. RISE UP!!!!!


Falcons-Dolphins Game Information:

Game time: Saturday, August 29, 7 p.m. EST

Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida

TV Channel: CW69


Radio: 92.9 The Game (Wes Durham and Dave Archer)

Falcons-Dolphins game broadcast will air on NFL Network on Monday, August 31st at 5:30 a.m. EST

---- David Schiele (@Deacon_Schiele)