By Samir Ajy
Preseason football is back. With that, so is the fascinating debate within NFL fan bases on how their
team should handle its projected starters, particularly on offense, in these games. Fans argue in favor of
and against playing starters for numerous reasons, citing concerns about teams coming out rusty to start
the season, as well as concerns about health and roster evaluation. The debate is even more prominent
within the Atlanta Falcons fan base, as the team has not made the playoffs since 2017.
The argument in favor of playing starters in the preseason stems from the belief that doing so allows
players to get accustomed to the speed of an NFL game once again and build chemistry with their
teammates, even if they play just for a series or two. Those in favor believe that doing so decreases the
likelihood of their team getting off to a slow start to the season. The argument against doing so stems
more from a reasonable fear that many coaches and fans alike have of risking an injury to a key player on
their roster that could impact the outcome of their season. Likewise, some coaches view joint practices
and scrimmages during training camp as a useful method of getting their starters up to speed and ready
for the season.
While Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced Wednesday morning that the team’s nucleus of
rookie defensive players, including Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr., and Xavier Watts, will play in the
team’s Friday night matchup with the Detroit Lions, he announced initially on Monday that second-year
starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not receive any snaps during the game. Morris also hinted that
Penix and Atlanta’s first-team offense could be sidelined for the entire preseason during Wednesday’s
press conference. According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, the team’s scrimmages “will simulate what a
game will be like for the guys who won’t see time during preseason games, like QB Michael Penix Jr.”
It makes sense for the Falcons to give their first-team Offense a Series or two in two of the team’s
three preseason games. Here’s why:
In case Morris needs a reminder, he did not give his starting offense, which featured a new starting
quarterback and a first-time offensive coordinator, any playing time during the preseason last year.
During their Week One game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and for much of their Week Two game at
Philadelphia, the offense looked out of sync. Notably, the turning point during the Steelers game
occurred when the Falcons led 10-9 early in the third quarter and were driving into Pittsburgh territory
after converting a fourth down and one. Suddenly, a miscommunication during a pre-snap motion
involving quarterback Kirk Cousins and tight end Ross Dwelley resulted in a fumble. The second of
Atlanta’s three turnovers that day shifted the momentum in favor of Pittsburgh, as they would go on to
win 18-10, despite not scoring an offensive touchdown. It can be argued that with preseason reps
against a live defense, that instance of miscommunication could have been addressed accordingly before
the game.
Notably, the Falcons’ schedule features a challenging start to their season, with the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers coming to town for a Week One matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Bucs, winners of
four consecutive NFC South Division titles, feature a potent offense that can score in bunches on just
about any defense in the NFL. The Falcons will then travel to Minneapolis in Week Two to face the
Vikings, led by one of the league’s most innovative offensive minds in Kevin O’Connell and a plethora of
offensive weapons (minus Jordan Addison, who will serve a three-game suspension), headlined by star
wide receiver Justin Jefferson. They follow that up with games against an improved Carolina Panthers
team, Buffalo and Washington at home, and then travel out west to face the San Francisco 49ers.
Given the offenses and set of quarterbacks Atlanta will face (including Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, and
Jayden Daniels), a slow start could be detrimental to their postseason aspirations. If some of the top
quarterbacks in the league, including Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, have played and/or plan on
playing in preseason games, what exactly exonerates Penix, a quarterback with only three NFL starts
under his belt, from receiving any reps?
The purpose of this article is not to suggest that Penix and the rest of Atlanta’s first-team offense getting
preseason reps will guarantee a Week One victory over Tampa and/or a fast start to the season. There is
also no correlation between how often starters play in the preseason and a team’s regular-season
success. It is, rather, a mere suggestion that Atlanta try a preseason approach that differs from the one
they have used in recent years. During their seven-year postseason drought, the Falcons have lost six of
those seven Week One matchups, with their offense averaging 16.4 points per game in those seven
games. The common theme: their starters, for the most part, received little to no playing time in the
preseason.
All in all, if Penix and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson have this unit firing on all cylinders and the
Falcons come out and beat the Bucs, then Morris will have been vindicated in his decision to defer to
training camp and joint practices as a useful measuring stick regarding where the offense stands.
However, suppose Penix struggles, and the offense resembles last year’s embarrassing loss to Pittsburgh.
Already under a great deal of scrutiny from Falcons fans for how last season ended, he will once again
have to answer for why he did not see the preseason games as a valuable means of getting his starters
amped up for a matchup that, despite it being Week One, is a divisional game that could very well have
playoff implications down the road.
That being said, it is why Morris gets paid the big bucks to make those big decisions, while I just write
about them.
